DES MOINES, Iowa — Three Iowans have tested positive for the COVID-19 strain of the Coronavirus, Gov. Kim Reynolds confirmed Sunday.
All three cases came from the same cruise in Egypt, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. All three are residents of Johnson County, and are not currently being treated in hospitals. Gov. Reynolds said they are being self-quarantined at home.
The Iowa Department of Public Health says the individuals are all over 40 years of age - one is in the 41-60-year-old range, while the other two are aged somewhere between 61-80. Two of them had underlying health conditions.
Reynolds, along with the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Iowa National Guard, broke the news at a press conference at the Iowa State Capitol.
Gov. Reynolds said the state has been working with the expectation that the virus would hit Iowa for while. She believes they are prepared.
"We've been working on this," Reynolds said. "We knew we needed to be ready to go, and we were."
The Iowa Department of Public Health does not recommend any special precautions to prevent contracting the virus. Instead, they say the best way to keep from getting it are the same measure you would take to prevent the flu: covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands frequently and staying home when you're sick.
There are currently eight pending cases of COVID-19 in Iowa awaiting test results. The IDPH expects those results to be ready Monday.
Local 5 will continue to bring you updates as they become available.