JOHNSTON, Iowa — One more Iowan is diagnosed with COVID-19 as of Friday afternoon, according to state officials.
The total amount of presumptive positive cases is 17. The newest confirmed case comes from Harrison County. The individual was tested in Nebraska.
Fourteen of those cases are all related to the Egyptian cruise. They're all in Johnson County. Another case is from Carroll County and another is from Pottawattamie County.
Gov. Reynolds says all of these cases are travel-related, not from community spread.
A few states in the U.S. have brought public schools to a halt in the wake of COVID-19, but Gov. Reynolds says the IDPH and the Iowa Department of Education does not recommend that for our state at this time.
There is currently no known community spread of COVID-19 in Iowa and IDPH is not making any recommendations to cancel planned events and mass gatherings at this time.
“Iowa has not identified community spread of COVID-19 at this time, and absent community spread or additional guidance from our federal partners, we aren't making any recommendations to cancel events,” said Dr. Caitlin Pedati, IDPH medical director and state epidemiologist. “This is, however, a very fluid situation and we urge the public to closely monitor messaging from the Iowa Department of Public Health for updated guidance.”
The CDC has, however, provided specific guidance for high risk groups. Older adults and those with chronic health conditions should stay away from others who are sick, limit close contact with others in general, avoid crowds, and wash hands often.