Hunter/AP
04/20/20
State health officials say the number of cases of coronavirus in Iowa increased more than 15% on Sunday to 2,902.
The Iowa Department of Public Health said Sunday that 389 additional cases of COVID-19 and one additional death related to the virus had been confirmed. Over two-thirds of the new cases are attributed to new surveillance testing of meat processing facilities. The Tyson Food plant in Louisa County was responsible for 84 new cases, and the National Beef plant in Tama County had 177 new positive cases.
Both plants have temporarily closed, but the Tyson plant in Blackhawk County has remained open, although state lawmakers representing the Waterloo area have filed a complaint with OSHA Iowa, asking that Tyson voluntarily halt operations there. The company said they’re implementing social distancing measures and installing workstation dividers.
There were no changes in the state’s eastern regional metrics scores. Northeast Iowa stayed at a 10, while the Southeast region, which includes the Iowa City area and the Louisa County meat plant, stayed at a 9.
The state has now reported 75 deaths linked to the virus, and a total of 2902 confirmed coronavirus cases.
The person who died was an adult between the ages of 61 and 80 from Muscatine County.
Linn, Polk and Johnson counties remain the ones with the most cases. Linn with 397 and Polk with 333, and Johnson at 294.
Another update is expected today at about 11am.
