Hawkeye Reporter

More than half of Iowans who have died from COVID-19 were residents in longterm care facilities, Iowa Gov. Gov. Kim Reynolds said during a press conference Tuesday, May 5.

Reynolds said during her news conference that 56% of Iowans who have died during the pandemic were in long term care facilities.

"Despite the many, many proactive steps taken early on to protect our most vulnerable Iowans, preventing COVID-19 from impacting long term care facilities is extremely challenging," Reynolds said. "We continue to work closely with our long-term care facilities to test the staff and residents."

Diagnostic and serological tests are being implemented while the facilities are being well stocked with personal protection equipment and given guidance about enhanced protection control measures, Reynolds said.

"We're going to continue to be proactive and work with our facilities across the state and do everything we can – just as they are – to make sure that we're protecting our most vulnerable during these very, very challenging times," she said.

Also on Tuesday, Reynolds' office announced that the Iowa Department of Public Health had been notified of 408 additional positive cases, bringing the total at that time to 10,111.

"Nearly 80% of today's positive cases are from the 22 counties where restrictions remain in place," Reynolds said during a press conference the same day. "And actually 261 of the 408 new positive cases are in Polk and Woodbury counties."

An additional 19 deaths were also reported Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Iowa to 207, according to Reynold's announcement and the COVID-19 in IOWA dash board, 407 were hospitalized and 3,572 Iowans had recovered.

On Sunday, Reynolds praised expanded testing in the state. About one in 52 Iowans have been tested, Reynolds said.

Expanded testing is required to provide Iowans with the “confidence that they need to feel safe in returning back to work,” Reynolds said Sunday.