Editor’s Note: Story has been updated to reflect additional cases reported Friday, May 1.
The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) confirmed 740 new COVID-19 positive tests have been identified in the state as of Friday morning. With these new confirmed cases, the state’s total has grown to 7,885. Gov. Kim Reynolds also announced eight additional coronavirus-related deaths have been recorded, marking 170 deaths to deaths. Reynolds said during her daily press conference state health officials expect to see a sharp uptick in cases reported over the weekend as a result of significantly increased testing in areas where virus activity is prevalent. Questions continue to be raised about the accuracy of the tests utilized in the statewide Test Iowa initiative. According to Reynolds, the tests have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); however, they are still going through the process of validating the first round of tests to ensure they meet the state’s standards. As for local case numbers, Sac and Calhoun Counties have confirmed their first COVID-19 infections with a single case each, and Carroll and Audubon Counties now stand at four. Shelby County remains at nine, and Greene County at seven. Guthrie and Crawford have reached 22 and 24 cases, respectively. According to the IDPH, 91 of Iowa’s 99 counties have recorded at least one case since the beginning of the pandemic. For more information on COVID-19 in Iowa, follow the links included below.
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