Advertisement

Clayton County records fourth COVID-19 related death

Error message

  • Warning: array_merge(): Expected parameter 1 to be an array, bool given in _simpleads_render_ajax_template() (line 133 of /home/pdccourier/www/www/sites/all/modules/simpleads/includes/simpleads.helper.inc).
  • Notice: Trying to get property 'settings' of non-object in _simpleads_adgroup_settings() (line 343 of /home/pdccourier/www/www/sites/all/modules/simpleads/includes/simpleads.helper.inc).
  • Warning: array_merge(): Expected parameter 1 to be an array, bool given in _simpleads_render_ajax_template() (line 157 of /home/pdccourier/www/www/sites/all/modules/simpleads/includes/simpleads.helper.inc).
  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in include() (line 24 of /home/pdccourier/www/www/sites/all/modules/simpleads/templates/simpleads_ajax_call.tpl.php).

Amid record new cases and hospitalizations, board of health urges people to wear masks to slow spread

By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

Clayton County recorded its fourth death related to COVID-19 late last week, according to data released by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH). This is the first death in the county since early in the pandemic, and comes at a time when local medical professionals say new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the county are at a record high.

There were 120 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Clayton County over the past week, jumping from 577 on Nov. 2 to 697 by Nov. 9. That total has increased by 276 cases in the past two weeks, pushing the county’s 14-day positivity rate, which measures the percentage of positive tests in that span, to 26 percent—12th highest in the state of Iowa.

“Over the past week, of the cases tested in local clinics, 50 to 80 percent of tests are reported as being positive (having COVID) daily. The number of cases per 100,000 in Clayton County is 774, one of the highest in the state. The goal for this number is under 100 to indicate good control of the disease,” said the Clayton County Board of Health in a letter released Nov. 5. “Without mitigation, this increased number of cases will continue to lead to further spread of the disease.”

Of Clayton County’s 697 confirmed cases, 322 are currently active, according to IDPH. 

“The cases are spread among all ages, many businesses are affected and the cases are not related to any single event,” the letter stated. “At this time, in Clayton County, the disease is being actively spread throughout the community.”

The Clayton County Board of Health said the number of admissions for many hospitals in northeast Iowa are at, or very near, capacity. 

“There is a desperate need to slow the spread, flatten the curve and protect our community and population,” the board stressed.

Board members asked towns in Clayton County to put in place an expectation of its citizens to step up and protect each other. 

“We are asking that the towns ask all of their businesses to wear masks to protect their businesses from closing due to illness of their employees and to protect their customers, allowing people to shop in their towns safely and keeping business local,” the letter read. “For our community during this pandemic, we are at a crossroads. Having been lucky enough to avoid it until now has been a blessing. But it is here and it is not holding back. It is a privilege to serve this community, but it will take more than just the medical professionals to fight this fight. It will take all of our community. We are asking for help in protecting our community.”

“Please ask all of our businesses to wear masks and ask their customers to wear masks,” the letter continued. “It is vital.”

— — —

IDPH said Iowa added 4,212 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, taking the state’s total to 157,882. That’s an increase of 25,776 confirmed cases from a week ago. So far, 101,151 Iowans have recovered from the disease. 

The statewide 14-day positivity rate is currently 20.2 percent, up six points from last week. Eighty-two of Iowa’s counties are reporting positivity rates over 15 percent, and over 40 counties have rates greater than 20 percent. 

As of Monday, a record 1,034 people around the state were hospitalized due to coronavirus, up 316 people from last week and 42 from Sunday. Of those hospitalized, 184 were in the ICU. 

There have been 1,848 deaths in Iowa, including three reported on Monday. According to IDPH, 110 Iowans have died as a result of COVID-19 over the past week.

Rate this article: 
No votes yet