Outbreak in Siouxland: Health officials say COVID-19 outbreak is here as positive cases more than double – KTIV

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) -- It's a trend we have seen in other places in the country. Now it appears that an outbreak of COVID-19 has come to parts of Siouxland.

Woodbury County is continuing to see increases in the number of positive cases of COVID-19.

Siouxland District Health said the total number of positive cases, as of April 24, in Woodbury County is 287. That is after they announced 129 new cases Friday morning.

That is over twice the number of new cases that were reported in April 23. That day they reported 46 new cases.

This comes as a report came out Friday morning from the New York Times puts the Sioux City metro at the top of where outbreaks might come next.

"If you look at our numbers yesterday and probably what we are going to put out some similar numbers tomorrow, it's disappointing to say that, but I think we're at the point where this is an outbreak here," said Tyler Brock with the Siouxland District Health Department.

Friday's report was the biggest increase of positive cases in Woodbury County thus far.

"This rapid surge, this rapid increase in cases, so many of them are connected to these industries that have been hit really hard by of COVID-19," said Brock. "So we just wanted to make sure people had an understanding of why these numbers have gone up so much."

Siouxland District Health said another reason those numbers are higher, is because they are seeing a significant increase in testing. Brock said last week they were testing around 100 people a day and that number has risen to around 300 tests a day.

Siouxland District Health said they will no longer be releasing the age and gender of new cases. KTIV and other media in Sioux City have requested that this information continue to be released.

In a news release this afternoon Siouxland District Health stated:

"Iowa law (Iowa Code Chapter 22) prohibits a local public health department from releasing information that could identify a person or business identified with an illness.

The law does allow for the Director of the Iowa Department of Public Health or the Iowa State Medical Director to release information that they deem necessary, and Siouxland District Health is working closely with the state of Iowa in an effort to help resolve some of the uncertainties, and also work to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our area."

KTIV will continue to push for this information to be released by the Siouxland District Health Department.

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Outbreak in Siouxland: Health officials say COVID-19 outbreak is here as positive cases more than double - KTIV