(Radio Iowa) — State officials will start identifying child care centers where there are outbreaks of COVID-19. Iowa Department of Human Services director Kelly Garcia says new guidelines require child care providers to report positive cases of the virus among children and staff.  “We’re balancing both the public health aspects and the overall well- being of children,” Garcia says. ” We also know how important is acceptable child care is to help parents return to work or continue to work.”

On May 15, the state’s criteria for qualifying for a COVID-19 test was changed, so children who go to child care and child care center employees may get tested if they had coronavirus symptoms that were not diagnosed as something else. Garcia says once an outbreak is identified, a child care provider will be asked to close anywhere from two days to up to two weeks, depending on the number of children who are enrolled.