COVID-19 testing to ramp up at Iowa’s long-term care facilities
At a press conference Wednesday, Gov. Reynolds announced a team of healthcare workers will be testing employees at long-term care facilities in Tama County.
Gov. Kim Reynolds gives the Condition of the State address at the Iowa State Capitol on Tuesday, January 14, 2020.
April 22, 2020
After the launch of the new Test Iowa website, testing is ramping up in the state, with new testing sites soon to open, and more comprehensive testing at long-term care facilities.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Gov. Reynolds said the state is sending a strike team of healthcare workers to long-term care facilities in Tama county, offering diagnostic and serologic testing to all employees in these facilities.
“We have the opportunity to isolate and identify positive cases early and possibly prevent exposing additional vulnerable residents,” Reynolds said.
Long-term care facilities have been the source of 51 percent of COVID-19 deaths in Iowa. There are now 11 long-term care facility outbreaks in the state.
Yesterday, Gov. Reynolds announced the launch of Test Iowa, a website that allows Iowans to input their personal information and symptoms, and find out if they are eligible to be tested.
Reynolds said 80,000 Iowans took the assessment since the launch of the website on Tuesday.
Reynolds said those working in essential employment like healthcare workers and grocery store employees are encouraged to take the assessment.
The online assessment requires input of both an email address in and a cell phone number, which some Iowans do not have access to.
Reynolds said for those without internet access, the assessment is available via phone by dialing 211 or the governor’s office.
Gov. Reynolds announced 107 new cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 3,748 cases. 7 new deaths were confirmed on Wednesday, for a total of 90 deaths in the state.