DES MOINES, Iowa — Positive COVID-19 tests will no longer need to be reported to Iowa's Public Health Division starting in April, according to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.
Beginning April 1, Iowa will remove the COVID-19 reporting dashboard, opting instead to incorporate COVID data into the weekly respiratory virus surveillance report.
“It’s important for Iowans to know that the Public Health Division will monitor the virus, just as we do for other respiratory illnesses,” said State Medical Director Dr. Robert Kruse. “The Public Health Division will continue to work collaboratively with our local health departments, healthcare partners in the state, and partners at the federal level.”
The state began reporting all COVID test results processed in a clinical lab to the state Public Health Division and to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in March 2020.
However, Iowa HHS claims "this type of reporting no longer accurately reflects the prevalence of the virus in the state."
Due to the widespread availability of rapid at-home tests, which do not require users to report results to the state, Iowa HHS believes the case and positive test counts are no longer "meaningful."
Furthermore, the state does not have any mandatory reporting order for other respiratory viral illnesses such as influenza, RSV and rhinovirus.
The decision by Iowa HHS is reflective of broader national trends, as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency would expire on May 11.
TestIowa at Home will continue to offer free COVID-19 testing through the end of 2023.
For Iowa's most recent COVID-19 data, click here.