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What is going on in Louisa County?

The southeastern county has seen a more than 6,900% increase in positive COVID-19 cases.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Louisa County has a population of over 11,000, and is considered one of Iowa's rural counties. Less than two weeks ago, the county had its first reported positive COVID-19 case. As of Monday evening, the total number of cases rose to 152 "due to increased testing efforts," according to county public health officials.

The rate of positive cases among the county population is higher than the rate for New York City, which has the most cases in the world. And the number of positive cases continues to increase every day.

The first positive case in Louisa County was reported on April 2. An older adult, aged 61-80, was confirmed to have the disease by the local public health department. According to public health officials, the individual was isolating at home. 

“While this is Louisa County’s first case, it may not be the last, and that’s why we encourage all residents to continue to make prevention a priority,” said Louisa County Public Health Administrator Roxanne Smith.  

Credit: WOI

A week later, the case count had ballooned up to 52 positive cases. A packing plant in Columbus Junction, a city in Louisa County, has temporarily shut down because of positive cases among employees. Iowa public health officials are not requiring individual businesses to report positive COVID-19 tests among employees unless the number of cases is 10 percent or higher.

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Around 18 percent of the population in Louisa County fall into the high-risk category for COVID-19: they are 65 years old or older. The county has a few clinics for residents to go to for help and testing, but the closest hospital is in a neighboring county. 

The top five counties with the most COVID-19 cases include:

  • Linn: 258
  • Johnson: 210
  • Polk: 195
  • Scott: 118
  • Muscatine: 102

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