Iowa now has more COVID-19 deaths than flu deaths for the season. As of Friday, there are 107 COVID-19 deaths in the state and there have been 95 influenza-associated deaths. The influenza deaths span nearly six months while the first COVID-19 death in Iowa was announced one month ago. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health as of Friday, Iowa has 4,445 confirmed cases due to the novel coronavirus. So far, 31,973 people have been tested.

In Washington County there have been 131 confirmed cases and five deaths. Washington County Public Health Director Danielle Pettit-Majewski says there are resources to assist people during this stressful time, “Washington County Public Health Director Danielle Pettit-Majewski says there are resources to assist people during this stressful time, “I think it’s also really important that you understand this is challenging, this is hard. And I think it can also exacerbate existing mental health issues. And so, I always want to just recommend that there are resources available. YourLifeIowa.org is a great resource if you’re struggling with mental health, it’s a service you can call because this is a hard time, and everybody handles things differently. And so, it’s perfectly okay to reach out for help.” Visit YourLifeIowa.com by clicking here.

Iowans are also asked to take the assessment for COVID-19 at TestIowa.com so the state can better gather data on the spread of the virus. People are encouraged to continue social distancing measures and to wash hands frequently for 20 seconds with soap and water.

Governor Kim Reynolds announced Friday that they will now be phasing in elective surgeries in the state and that farmers markets will be allowed with social distancing.