Friday, July 17, 2020

27 New Cases in Dubuque County, 676 New Cases and 5 More Deaths in Iowa

Positive Cases
Between 2 p.m. yesterday and 2 p.m. today, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported 27 new positive cases of COVID-19 in Dubuque County, increasing the county total to 1,130.  

For the state, 676 additional cases were reported in that same time frame giving Iowa a total of 37,708 positive cases. 

Deaths

There were no additional deaths reported in Dubuque County over the last 24 hours so the county total remains 23. 

Five additional deaths were reported statewide, increasing the state death total to 783. 

Testing
As of 2 p.m. today, the IDPH website reported that 16,744 Dubuque County residents have been tested, up 190 from yesterday. Yesterday's positive test rate was 8.4 percent and the county's overall positive test rate is 6.7 percent. One in six Dubuque County residents has been tested.

403,528 Iowans have been tested, an increase of 6,893 since yesterday.  Yesterday's positive test rate was 7.4 percent while the state's overall positive test rate is 9.3 percent. One in eight Iowa residents has been tested.

Hospitalizations & Recoveries
According to the IDPH, the number of Dubuque County residents reported hospitalized due to COVID-19 is 11, two less than reported yesterday.

210 Iowans are hospitalized due to COVID-19, 15 more than reported yesterday.   

Statewide, 27,585 Iowans have recovered (202 more than reported yesterday), including 454 Dubuque County residents (four more than yesterday).

Long-Term Care Facility Outbreaks
According to the IDPH, there are 15 long-term care facilities in Iowa with COVID-19 outbreaks, the same as reported yesterday.  There are no long-term care facility outbreaks in Dubuque County. 

For the most current information on COVID-19, visit https://coronavirus.iowa.gov. For COVID-19 information specific to Dubuque County, visit www.dubuquecounty.org/COVID19 

Test Iowa Notifications
The Dubuque County Public Health Incident Management Team is aware of social media posts from individuals reporting that county residents who completed a Test Iowa assessment, but were not actually tested, have received notifications that they tested positive.  

The incident management team is not directly involved in the Test Iowa process and has not received any reports of this occurring but is attempting to investigate these reports.  The team contacted Test Iowa today and the Test Iowa representative that responded said they have not heard of this happening to anyone but they will investigate further. When and if more information is available, it will be shared. 

While the accuracy of these posts has not been confirmed or refuted, it is another reminder of the importance of verifying the accuracy and truth of social media posts before believing or sharing.  Misinformation and conspiracy theories related to the pandemic are rampant on social media and are making it more difficult to keep everyone accurately informed.  The Dubuque County Public Health Incident Management Team encourages the public to rely on trusted information sources only, including local public health officials, local healthcare providers, the Iowa Department of Public Health, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

If you are tested for COVID-19 through the Test Iowa program, you will be notified of the results by Test Iowa through email, whether the result is positive or negative.  Those who test positive will also receive a notification by phone from the Dubuque Visiting Nurses Association with additional information. 

If you have questions about the Test Iowa program, please call 515-575-2131 or 844-844-1561 (toll free).  For general information about COVID-19, call the Dubuque Visiting Nurses Association at 563-556-6200. 

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This message is from the Dubuque County Public Health Incident Management Team, which includes staff from the from the Dubuque County Health Department, City of Dubuque Health Department, Dubuque County Emergency Management Agency, and the Dubuque Visiting Nurse Association.
 
Please do not reply to this message.  If you would like additional information on this issue, please visit www.dubuquecounty.org/covid19