Category: Covid-19

The federal government plans to process more of our personal data, in the name of containing COVID-19, but without showing that this serious privacy intrusion would actually do anything to protect public health. EFF filed comments in opposition to these new plans from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) leads our nations efforts to contain infectious diseases. Thus, CDC for decades has managed the federal governments processing of personal data about infection. It did so during the early months of the COVID-19 outbreak. But in July 2020, HHS stripped this tracking authority from the CDC, and transferred it to a new program called HHS Protect.

HHS issued two new Systems of Records Notices (SORNs) about this new HHS program. The federal Privacy Act requires federal agencies to issue SORNs to advise people about personally identifiable information that the government maintains about them.

Unfortunately, HHS Protect poses a grave threat to the data privacy of all Americans. As set forth in the SORNs, it would greatly expand how the federal government collects, uses, maintains, and shares all manner of personal information. We highlighted the following ways that HHS Protect would substantially burden privacy without a necessary or proportionate benefit to protecting public health.

New data collection. The SORNs would allow collection of personal information about physical and psychological health history, drug and alcohol use, diet, employment, and more. Data collected would also include geospatial records, which countless research has shown is difficult to de-identify. Data would be collected not just about people who test positive, but also about their family members, as well as people who test negative, and perhaps people who have not tested at all. Data would be collected from countless different sources, including federal, state, and local governments, their contractors, the healthcare industry, and patients family members.

New data sharing. The SORNs would allow sharing of these vast sets of data with additional federal agencies, unspecified outside contractors, and even student volunteers. These additional federal agencies would be allowed, in turn, to share the data with their contractors. Patient consent would not be required for this sharing.

New data use. The SORNs would allow use of this data in litigation and other proceedings whenever the federal government has an interest in them (such use now is allowed only when HHS is a defendant in litigation).

New data storing. The SORNs would allow permanent retention of data with significant historical and/or research value (retention now is limited to four years).

No doubt, the ongoing COVID-19 crisis requires a coordinated governmental response, which in turn requires robust data concerning the spread of the disease. But HHS has made no showing that CDCs existing epidemiological data systems are not up to the task.

Thus, EFF filed comments with HHS, asking the agency to withdraw these two SORNs. They violate the Privacy Act and create new threats to privacy without any showing of public health benefit.

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No to Expanded HHS Surveillance of COVID-19 Patients - EFF

Black Americans are nearly twice as likely to live in areas that would be disproportionately disrupted by a health crisis like COVID-19.

A median white familys wealth is 10 times that of a median Black family.

Addressing the racial wealth gap could increase US GDP by 4-6% by 2028.

Only 20% of Black workers are able to work from home during the current crisis.

In a recent interview, Harvard University behavioural scientist Dr. David R. Williams commented that, The coronavirus did not create racial inequities in health. It has just uncovered and revealed them. These disparities have long existed in the US, and persist across leading causes of death, from the cradle to the grave.

One inequality that the pandemic had laid bare, and that is significantly impacting health outcomes, is Americas wealth gap between white and Black Americans. In 2016, the wealth of a median white family was 10 times that of a median Black family, and a Black family was two times more likely to live in poverty than its white counterpart. That massive gap weighs heavily on the prospects of Black Americans; it is estimated that some 70% of Black children who grow up middle class will not achieve middle-class status as adults.

The tragic irony of this situation is that eliminating the racial wealth gap would actually present a tremendous opportunity for the overall US economy. Currently, in terms of consumption and investment, the racial wealth gap could negatively impact the economy by between $1 trillion and $1.5 trillion between 2019 and 2028. On the flipside, if the racial wealth gap were to be addressed, US GDP could increase from 4-6% by 2028, potentially adding $2,900-$4,399 in per capita GDP, which is comparable to the explosive economic growth the US experienced during the dotcom era of the 1990s.

The pandemic has brought into stark relief many of the issues and disparities that created and continue to perpetuate the racial wealth gap. Decades of racism and persistent systemic inequalities not only make Black Americans more vulnerable to the effects of the virus, but also make it even harder for them to fight against the impact of the virus. In addition, not only was the impact of COVID-19 on the lives and livelihoods of Black Americans predictable, but also it uncovered greater disparities than we had previously understood.

To begin with, Black Americans are nearly two times as likely to live in areas that would be disproportionately disrupted by a health crisis like COVID-19. That is true in part because the majority of Black Americans live in areas with substandard access to quality healthcare and public health services. In addition, Black Americans disproportionately reside where air quality levels are poor, which becomes a major risk factor when dealing with a respiratory disease like COVID-19.

What most Black Americas do for a living is also a major factor in how they are being impacted by the coronavirus. While many American workers are working from home to avoid exposure, Black Americans are much less likely to be able to take advantage of this new workplace dynamic: Only 20% of Black workers are able to work from home in the current situation, as compared to 30% of white workers and 37% of Asian workers.

COVID-19 has impacted Black Americans hardest

One reason that few Black Americans can work from home during the pandemic is that they represent a disproportionate percentage of nine of the 10 lowest-wage jobs that are deemed to be high-contact, essential services. Of particular concern is the fact that many of those jobs are front-line healthcare positions, meaning Black Americans are being put at a much greater risk of contracting the virus just by the work they perform, which is work that helps treat and protect others from the virus.

These, and other issues, also predispose Black Americans to medical conditions that greatly increase the risks associated with COVID-19. Black Americans are 30% more likely to suffer from co-morbidities including cardiovascular disease, asthma, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, hypertension and obesity.

The totality of those factors has created an incredibly dire situation for the lives and livelihoods of many Black Americans in the wake of COVID-19. Fortunately, solutions exist that can fundamentally change these situations for the better, including:

Community health workers can be trained and deployed in high-risk areas in order to connect patients to appropriate healthcare and social services, as well as helping to rebuild trust in the overall healthcare system.

The expiration of federal support could devastate minority communities, which means actions including moratoriums on evictions, unemployment insurance and hazard pay must be extended for those hardest hit.

Faith-based organizations can redouble their efforts to teach effective prevention measures including proper hygiene techniques and social distancing.

Employers can have a transformative and tangible impact by giving hazard pay that is more reflective of the risks front-line workers are taking, as well as increasing those incentives for employees from more vulnerable populations.

Employers can also expand healthcare benefits, subsidize access to protective equipment and develop relationships with businesses like hotels that can provide increased protection to at-risk staff.

Public-private partnerships can be developed to give vulnerable populations more access to primary care physicians.

Public-private partnerships can also help increase access to broadband, giving needy Black Americans the opportunity to benefit from expanding telehealth services.

Better and more equitable access to broadband will also enable more Black families to take better advantage of remote learning opportunities to make sure their children do not lose ground academically during the pandemic.

Any COVID-19-induced recession will also disproportionately impact the economic viability of many Black Americans. To ensure more at-risk individuals do not experience financial calamity, both private- and public-sector organizations can offer significantly more low-interest liquidity to Black households. These efforts could include flexible repayment programs and credit forgiveness for periods of time that allow individuals to get back on their feet as the country reopens and their ability to earn a living returns. Long-term rent support and moratoriums on foreclosures could also help protect those at risk.

The COVID-19 pandemic and recent social and political unrest have created a profound sense of urgency for companies to actively work to tackle racial injustice and inequality. In response, the Forum's Platform for Shaping the Future of the New Economy and Society has established a high-level community of Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officers. The community will develop a vision, strategies and tools to proactively embed equity into the post-pandemic recovery and shape long-term inclusive change in our economies and societies.

As businesses emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, they have a unique opportunity to ensure that equity, inclusion and justice define the "new normal" and tackle exclusion, bias and discrimination related to race, gender, ability, sexual orientation and all other forms of human diversity. It is increasingly clear that new workplace technologies and practices can be leveraged to significantly improve diversity, equity and inclusion outcomes.

The World Economic Forum has developed a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Toolkit, to outline the practical opportunities that this new technology represents for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, while describing the challenges that come with it.

The toolkit explores how technology can help reduce bias from recruitment processes, diversify talent pools and benchmark diversity and inclusion across organisations. The toolkit also cites research that suggests well-managed diverse teams significantly outperform homogenous ones over time, across profitability, innovation, decision-making and employee engagement.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Toolkit is available here.

The economic legacy of COVID-19 has been devastating for Black Americans, further increasing the racial wealth divide and aggravating historic issues that have made it more difficult for Black Americans to thrive. That cannot be allowed to continue. More must be done to invest in communities to continue to save lives, enhance livelihoods and reimagine more inclusive systems where these disparities dont exist in the first place.

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COVID-19 has hit Black Americans hardest. Healing this divide would lift the nation - World Economic Forum

"Also, the people that they came in contact with, like my mother, who's had two heart attacks, five stents, and a pacemaker in the last five months, couldn't get a test because she wasn't symptomatic even though she could have been their asymptomatic contact that gave them COVID," she continued. "The nurses in the hospital that are taking care of them can't get tested because they don't have tests to test them with."

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Sharon Stone shares sisters battle with COVID-19, blaming non-mask wearers and urging followers to vote to - WBTV

The U.S. government has placed a series of multibillion-dollarbets on potential COVID-19 vaccines. But actually getting those vaccines to patients is another story, and now the government has picked a distributor to aid that effort.

The Trump administration has tapped Dallas-based distribution giant McKesson to partnerwith the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a national distributor for COVID-19 vaccines.

Under a 2016 childhood vaccine deal, the CDC had an option to draftMcKesson to distributevaccines in case of a pandemic, according to a Department of Defense release. While financial terms of the option weren't disclosed, Bloomberg reported the overall deal could be worth up to $300 million.

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Learn how to streamline medical communications and align tactics and objectives within your organizations by attending the virtual Medical Affairs Strategic Summit (MASS).

McKesson, perhaps best known in recent years for its legal troubles over the nation's opioid epidemic,is familiar with pandemic scenarios. In 2009, the Obama administration brought the company in to handle national distribution of H1N1 flu vaccines.

RELATED:States reject drug wholesalers' $18B opioid settlement offer: WSJ

McKesson and the nation's largest drug distributors, including Cardinal Health and Walgreens, have been locked in thousands of lawsuits over their roles in fueling the U.S. opioid crisis.

In February, a suite of state attorneys general shot down a class settlement of roughly $18 billion from McKesson and others, saying a fair deal would lie in the $22 billion to $32 billion range, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The distributor's board in January reached a $175 million settlement with investors over claims it didn't adequately flag suspicious opioid shipments that may have helped add fuel to the crisis.

RELATED:After nearly $1B in research funding, Moderna takes $1.5B coronavirus vaccine order from U.S.

McKesson's Warp Speed pact comes as the Trump administration looks to flesh out a production and distribution framework for one or more approved vaccines by the end of the year.

Last week, the government reached a $1.5 billion work order with Moderna for 100 million doses of itsmRNA-based COVID-19 shotafter spending almost $1 billion in development costs for the vaccine.The pact also includes an option for an additional 400 million doses.

The Moderna order follows a suite of Warp Speed deals in recent weeks:Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline scored $2.1 billion to develop and deliver100 million doses; Pfizer andBioNTechs would rake in $1.95 billion for its shot; and Novavax snared$1.6 billion from the initiative. Johnson & Johnson also locked in a deal for $1 billion for 100 million doses of its shot, and AstraZeneca is on the hook for300 million doses ina $1.2 billion deal.

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McKesson signs up with Warp Speed to distribute COVID-19 shots in U.S. - FiercePharma

TOPLINE

With countries starting to reopen their borders to travelers, airlines and airports will ask a U.N. task force on Tuesday to recommend countries accept a negative Covid-19 test result within 48 hours of travelers departure from countries with high infection rates as an alternative to mandatory quarantines that have decreased demand for travel, according to Reuters.

Mandatory quarantine rules are a deterrent for travelers.

If a task force set up by theU.N.s International Civil Aviation Organization agrees with the proposal, it is likely the guidelines will be accepted by the 193 member nations.

Requiring a negative Covid-19 test prior to departure will decrease the risk of importation by up to 90% and open up travel between a larger number of countries, according to the proposal from the Airports Council International and International Air Transport Association, according to Reuters.

The organizations are seeking to find a way around quarantine requirements that are a deterrent for travelers.

About 85% of people surveyed said they were concerned about needing to quarantine while traveling and only 17% said they were willing quarantine, according to a July IATA survey.

Quarantine is a demand killer. Keeping borders closed prolongs the pain by causing economic hardship well beyond airlines. If governments want to re-start their tourism sectors, alternative risk-based measures are needed, said IATA Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac.

Many airlines do not think demand will return to 2019 levels until 2023 or 2024, de Juniac said. A 58% majority of the people who responded to the July IATA survey said they have avoided air travel and 33% said they will avoid travel in the future to reduce the risk of catching Covid-19. When asked to rank the top three measures that would make them feel safer, 37% said Covid-19 screening at departure airports, 34% agreed with face-covering mandates and 33% said social distancing measures on the plane.

$365 billion. That is the maximum potential loss for passenger operating revenues for airlines in 2020, according to an August 12 ICAO report. The organization predicts an overall reduction of 2.86 billion travelers.

Airlines, airports to push for COVID testing as quarantines hit traffic (Reuters)

Effects of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Civil Aviation: Economic Impact Analysis (ICAO)

Traveler Survey Reveals COVID-19 Concerns (IATA)

Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus

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Airlines, Airports Reportedly Push U.N. Body To Recommend Negative Covid-19 Tests As Alternative To Quarantine Requirements - Forbes

The West Virginia Department of Health andHuman Resources (DHHR) reportsas of 10:00 a.m., on August 16, 2020, there have been 355,168 total confirmatory laboratory results receivedfor COVID-19, with 8,564 total cases and 160 deaths.

CASESPER COUNTY: Barbour (33), Berkeley (734), Boone (118),Braxton (8), Brooke (76), Cabell (450), Calhoun (7), Clay (18), Doddridge (6),Fayette (170), Gilmer (18), Grant (131), Greenbrier (96), Hampshire (88),Hancock (113), Hardy (63), Harrison (248), Jackson (168), Jefferson (305),Kanawha (1,080), Lewis (28), Lincoln (108), Logan (356), Marion (199), Marshall(130), Mason (73), McDowell (67), Mercer (240), Mineral (127), Mingo (201),Monongalia (989), Monroe (20), Morgan (33), Nicholas (39), Ohio (279),Pendleton (43), Pleasants (14), Pocahontas (42), Preston (130), Putnam (218),Raleigh (297), Randolph (214), Ritchie (3), Roane (19), Summers (19), Taylor(74), Tucker (11), Tyler (15), Upshur (40), Wayne (221), Webster (4), Wetzel(44), Wirt (7), Wood (283), Wyoming (47).

As case surveillance continues at thelocal health department level, it may reveal that those tested in a certaincounty may not be a resident of that county,or even the state as an individual in question may have crossed the stateborder to be tested. Such is the case of Wetzel Countyin this report.

Pleasenote that delays may be experienced with the reporting of information from thelocal health department to DHHR. Data is published daily at 10 a.m. on thedashboard located at http://www.coronavirus.wv.gov.

See the article here:

COVID-19 Daily Update 8-16-2020 - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

The Office of Residential Life, Housing and Food Services at the University of Nevada, Reno has been working for months in preparation for housing students in one of the 12 on-campus residence halls amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In accordance with directives from federal and state government, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, residence halls will occupy no more than 50 students per floor at the start of the 2020 Fall semester.

After Marchs shutdown, we knew we had to prepare for a range of scenarios going into Fall 2020, Dean Kennedy, University executive director of Residential Life, Housing and Food Services, said. Our office has been in weekly communications with the more than 3,000 students who signed up to receive University housing this year. Students and their families have a number of questions about on-campus living during this pandemic and we are doing everything we can to answer them in a timely manner.

Given Governor Sisolaks extended emergency directives, which limit building occupancy and group gatherings through August, the University plans to house about 2,400 students. Kennedy explained students were given housing assignments on a first-come, first-served basis, based on their housing application date.

Due to the pandemic, housing availability remained fluid throughout the summer. Each week, the residential life office communicated with all students who applied for housing, grouping them into three categories: students assigned a building and a room, students assigned a building and students waitlisted for housing. Over the last few months, students in each group chose to cancel their housing applications due to the pandemic, which allowed housing to accommodate others who want to live on campus. Kennedy said a limited number of spaces for student housing are still available for students interested in living in the residence halls.

Across our facilities we are implementing several measures in an effort to increase the health and safety of residents and staff, Kennedy said.

Those measures include additional physical barriers in public spaces, hand sanitizer stations added to each building entrance, reduced furniture in spaces to maximize social distancing, mandatory face coverings for students and staff, social distancing signage to reinforce social and physical distancing and quarantine spaces designed for students who have nowhere else to go should they test positive for COVID-19. Janitorial and housekeeping services will also be enhanced across the residence halls with more frequent cleanings of high-touch surfaces with CDC-recommended cleaning agents.

By living on campus, whether you are learning online or in-person, you have access to more experienced students including resident advisors and resident directors who can guide you through the collegiate educational experience because they are living just down the hall, Kennedy said. In addition, should you need assistance with studying, test-taking, or even with beefing up your resume by getting involved with student organizations or undergraduate research, that involvement is 100% easier when you live close to those resources/access points.

While life on campus will undoubtedly look different this fall, Kennedy stressed the communities, friendships and scholarship built between students when they live in the residence halls. He believes students living on campus this year will benefit from being around other students in a similar situation. Paraprofessional resident advisors and full-time resident directors with masters degrees are working on plans for how best to facilitate these communities, while conscious of the pandemic and all it entails.

The Residential Life, Housing, and Food Services student and full-time staff will be coordinating safe in-person and virtual activities where students can increase their friendship circles, Kennedy said.These connections broaden students' portfolio of learning where they live; and likely lead to other connections/relationships that will help them advance their career.Some of these connections could be finding their new best friend or life partner, job opportunities during or after college and other experiences they would never have access to through solely remote learning to get a degree.

James Wright, a resident director in the Nevada Living Learning Community added to what Kennedy said about on-campus living this year.

Our community development model has changed, Wright said. It is now less program-based and more about social interactions from both the resident advisors and also the residents. Passport event programs have been developed for both virtual and in-person events. Those in-person events will host 10 residents at a time and will require face coverings and social distance. We are going to do everything we can to help students connect with each other and with staff safely.

Wright also acknowledged the student staff who help create successful residential life experience. From resident advisors to academic mentors and senior resident advisors, each will play an integral role in helping new students feel connected to the University.

With Argenta Hall still offline, following a July 2019 gas line explosion that caused significant damage, two new interim housing contracts are in place for the 2020-2021 academic year, to make up for the approximately 800 beds needed. An agreement with CA Student Living Reno II, LLC ofUncommonRenoand Cardinal Group Management/Canyon Flats III, LLC ofCanyon Flatswill offer housing designed with students in mind.

While students living in these properties will have their own rooms and bathrooms and high-quality, newly constructed living facilities, there are slight delays in construction. Due to these unforeseen delays, which are a result of the pandemic, approximately 260 students assigned to these residence halls will have temporary housing at the Whitney Peak Hotel, a completely non-gaming hotel in Downtown Reno, until their rooms are ready for occupancy. The University anticipates they will be able to transition into Canyon Flats by Sept 5, if not sooner, and into Uncommon by Aug. 24, if not sooner.

While staying at the Whitney Peak, the University is working to keep students grouped together and not intermingled with other tenants; though this may not be possible for every resident. Additionally, due to this temporary shift in accommodations, students staying at the Whitney Peak Hotel will share a room with one other student, likely their roommate from Canyon Flats or Uncommon, until they can move into their more permanent residence.

Similar to Wolf Pack Tower last year, the University will have full-time and student staff living at the Whitney Peak Hotel. There will be University staff on each floor where students will reside. Two security officers will be on site 24/7. University Police Services will also be adding the hotel to its patrol.

We recognize this is a less than ideal situation for our students, Kennedy said. In order to make things easier during their short-term stay, students will have transportation to and from campus, which will be provided from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (and for meals during Move-in). In addition, students will receive $25 in Wolf Bucks per night for this inconvenience. Wolf Bucks are loaded onto a student ID card and can be used with food vendors across campus, including The Wolf Shop.

The current plan is to have all dining venues across campus open and provide quality service along with additional protective health and safety measures. Those include more grab-and-go services in order to adhere to state occupancy directives. Extra hand sanitizer stations have been added to all dining locations and Nevada Dining is looking into possible delivery options.

This year, University move-in will be spread over the course of five days, Aug. 18-22. Students and their families are asked to limit guests and to check-in during their chosen day and time to ensure everyones health and safety.

Continue reading here:

University housing adapts to ongoing changes amid COVID-19 pandemic - Nevada Today

TRI-CITIES (WJHL) Many school systems in our region are already back in class whether thats virtually or in person, but what happens if a teacher has to be isolated due to COVID-19 exposure?

If more and more teachers or assistants do become ill we do have a concern about staffing, said Dr. Suzanne Bryant, Greeneville City Schools assistant director of schools.

Kingsport City Schools, Johnson County Schools, and Greeneville City Schools are all starting the year with total virtual instruction.

We are really back into beginning of the year mode, said Andy True, assistant superintendent of administration with Kingsport City Schools. So most of our teaching positions at this point we have been able to fill.

All three districts say they are fully staffed when it comes to full-time and substitute teachers.

So far Ive spoken to Greeneville City Schools and Johnson County Schools about school staffing during a pandemic.

How are they training substitute teachers and what is their plan if a teacher was unable to teach due to having #COVID19? Hear their answers tonight at 6. @WJHL11 pic.twitter.com/6MSnHXDrgo

However, that could change if teachers are diagnosed with COVID-19.

We have trained our substitute teachers in our Canvas learning management system and also how to lead Zoom meetings but currently we are not using our substitute teachers for that purpose, said Bryant. If we have to have a substitute during online learning our other teachers who teach that same subject or grade level are filling in.

In Johnson County, Director of Schools Dr. Mischellen Simcox said substitutes wont be utilized until students are back in the classroom.

We will not be utilizing substitute teachers while were in the virtual learning environment, the full virtual. You know the classroom instruction will have to come from teachers, Simcox said.

What if a teacher has to quarantine due to COVID19?

Where we are doing the virtual right now they will just continue to do that from home if they are quarantined, Simcox said.

All three districts are also prepared with school nurses to help monitor students.

Having healthcare available in our classrooms, in our schools is always a priority for us even more so now, said True.

As these school systems convert from virtual learning to back in the classroom their need for substitute teachers will increase, which is something True said Kingsport City Schools is prepared for.

Continued here:

School Staffing: What happens if a teacher is exposed to COVID-19? - WJHL-TV News Channel 11

LE MARS, Iowa (KTIV) - A local high school band is doing everything they can to minimize the risk of COVID-19 exposure during band class.

"These are basically like the masks that you would wear over your face, but they will go on the bell of the instrument instead," said Band Director Michael Prichard.

The Le Mars Community High School Band will be "masking" their instruments-- by using bell covers.

A method recommended by the National Federation of State High School Association, and the College Band Directors National Association.

"So the studies being done through the NFHS out in Colorado and Maryland show that the aerosols that could potentially carry the virus can be spread through the bells of the instrument," said Prichard.

According to the College Band Directors National Association, the goal of the aerosol study is to identify ways performers can meet in person-- with the lowest risk possible. That's how they came up with using the nylon bell covers for the instruments.

"They will go over the edge of the bells and that way they trap a lot of the aerosols that are normally harmful, and we can clean those bell covers," said Prichard. "We were able to order fabric that was the correct thickness, and it's two layers thick,".

The school band is composed of nearly 100 students.Prichard says it's important for them to let the students do what they love to do, especially after being quarantined for months.

"I know that our students are excited to be back together," said Prichard.

The bell covers are being distributed to every band student 5th grade through 12th grade.

Link:

Local high school band 'masking' their instruments to minimize COVID-19 exposure - KTIV

Hurst said the facility screens people before coming in and doesn't allow visitors. He said the spread likely occurred because of an asymptomatic individual.

"They didnt find it because someone looked symptomatic, its because of testing. Did anybody there do anything wrong? I have a hard time saying somebody did," Hurst said, noting, "I dont get all that evidence."

Hurst said the lesson is, "the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines are insufficient to prevent the spread in the nursing homes. What we see nursing homes doing is holding stricter policies."

Hurst said the Department of Inspections and Appeals has been doing inspections in person and over the phone.

"We're well aware of what's going on with patients," he said.

On Monday afternoon, the state COVID-19 website listed 1,426 positive cases in Pottawattamie County out of 16,284 tests, for an 8.8% positive rate. The site listed 1,070 recoveries.

Coronavirus.iowa.gov also listed a 30th death in the county. Wyant said his office was unaware of the death and as of Monday afternoon had not been able to confirm it.

The website listed 52,722 cases in state out of 561,762 tests for a 9.4% positive rate, with 981 deaths and 40,788 recoveries.

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Oakland Manor subject of state investigation after COVID-19 outbreak - The Daily Nonpareil