(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says Iowa hospitals have the resources to manage this month’s surge in Covid patient admissions. On Wednesday evening, the state’s coronavirus tracker indicated 530 Covid patients were being treated in an Iowa hospital. That’s 44 percent more than a month ago and higher than in any previous month of the pandemic. Reynolds says about 10 percent of Iowa hospital patients have Covid and she says hospital executives have assured her they have enough ventilators and space in intensive care units to handle current case loads.

The state tracker indicates there are Covid outbreaks at 69 nursing homes and more than 18-hundred Iowa nursing home residents currently have Covid.

Iowa’s Coronavirus dashboard, today (Friday), reports (as of 10-a.m.), 23 additional deaths attributed to the virus, and 1,581 new, Positive cases of COVID-19, as confirmed by State Labs. The total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic amount to 1,617. Officials say 1,073 deaths have been attributed to pre-existing medical/health conditions. Harrison, Montgomery and Union Counties each have one more COVID-related death.

Health officials say 7,209 test results were returned over the past 24-hours, Thursday, with 6,137 coming back Negative, and 1,026 returned as Positive. The total number of tests completed thus far is 924,781, with 810,565 total Negative results and 112,555 total Positive results. The individual positivity rate is 12.2%, and the statewide 14-day rolling average is 9.9%. Harrison County has the highest 14 day positive average, at nearly 24% (23.8). In Cass County, the 14-day rate is 21%.

The IDPH says 86,527 Iowans have recovered from COVID-19. In the KJAN listening area, there are: 11 more positive cases of the virus in Cass County, for a total of 360; 62 more cases in Pottawattamie County; Harrison County has an additional 32 cases, there are nine new cases in Mills County, and eight more in Shelby County. Other counties have five or less cases added to their totals. (See the chart below).

Statewide, hospitalizations are up to 536 (compared to 530 on Thursday). There is one less person in an ICU, at 134. Patients admitted to a hospital since Thursday, number 78 (compared to 85 previously), and 49 persons on a ventilator (compared to 53, Thursday). Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa report: 42 hospitalized (compared to 45 yesterday); 15 in an ICU (compared to 13 previously); three people were admitted, and one person remains on a ventilator.

Long-Term Care facility (LTC) stats show: 69 facilities have outbreaks (one-less than on Thursday); 1,853 patients/staff at those facilities tested positive for COVID-19 (compared to 1,783 Thursday); Patients/staff who have recovered at LTC’s amount to 752, and those who have died number 799. That’s nine more than reported on Thursday.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases in each county, along with the 24-hour change in case numbers {+#}; the number of persons recovered, and the total number of [deaths] (if any), since the pandemic began,

• Cass, 360 cases {+11}; 249 recovered; 2 deaths
• Adair, 152 {+4}; 69; 1
• Adams, 72 {+2}; 36; 0
• Audubon, 140; 83; 1
• Guthrie, 376 {+2); 239; 15
• Harrison County, 629 {+32}; 247; 9
• Madison County, 353 {+7}; 225; 2
• Mills County, 361 {+9}; 182; 1
• Montgomery, 162 {+2}; 140; 6
• Pottawattamie County, 3,118 {+62]; 2,289; 44
• Shelby County, 360 {+8}; 313; 1
• Union County,  223 {+5}; 201; 4

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers, Thursday, said “Due to health & safety concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Clarinda Police Department WILL NOT be conducting the ‘Operation Blessing’ Program this year.” Brother said also, “This was a difficult decision to make, but the right one during this unprecedented situation.”

Operation Blessing was started in the mid 1980s by the Page County Reserve Deputies to ensure that every child in the rural areas of Page County has the opportunity to receive a gift at Christmas. It has continued every year since for over 30 years…until now. Last year,14 families signed-up for the program. Those 14 families equated to 38 children.

Here are some reminders from Montgomery County Auditor Stephanie Burke, with regard to the Nov. 3rd General Election:

• The Montgomery County Auditor’s office will be open Saturday, October 24 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday, October 31 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• The deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 24. It is also voter preregistration deadline. If you did not register to vote before October 24, 2020, you can register on Election Day or if you vote absentee in-person at the Auditor’s office. You must provide proof of both your identity and residency.
• Saturday, October 31, 2020 – Auditor’s office is open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. for absentee voting and election business.
• Monday, November 2, 2020 – Last day to vote an absentee ballot in-person at the Auditor’s office.
• Polls are open from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. on November 3, 2020 Election Day.

If you have an absentee ballot and are done voting, please send the ballot back to the Auditor’s office as soon as possible. You can mail, hand deliver it to the Auditor’s office or drop it off in the official county drop box located South of the Courthouse on Coolbaugh Street. Absentee ballots must be received no later than the close of the polls on Election Day. Mailed ballots returned by mail and received after Election Day must be postmarked on or before November 2 and received by November 9 to be counted. Absentee ballots are opened and counted on Election Day and is open to the public.

If you have any questions, please contact the Auditor’s office at 623-5127.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:00 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa plans to use millions of dollars in federal pandemic funds on a long-term plan to improve data management across state agencies, a second information technology project that may not fit the purpose of the aid. State and federal auditors this week told Iowa’s executive branch to return millions of dollars to the state’s $1.25 billion coronavirus relief fund that were spent on new accounting and human resources software. They determined the project wasn’t an appropriate expense. A state report shows the Office of the Chief Information Officer has been given $16.9 million in pandemic aid for a data collection initiative that was under discussion before the pandemic.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The state is reporting another 15 people have died of the coronavirus in Iowa and there were more than 1,400 confirmed new cases of the virus. The state Department of Public Health reported Thursday that the 15 deaths in the past 24 hours brought the state’s total deaths from the virus to 1,594. About half of those who died were in long term care centers. There were 1,401 new confirmed positive cases reported for a total of 110,974. The state reported 530 people were being treated in Iowa hospitals for the virus, down slightly from the 535 people hospitalized Wednesday. The state’s 14-day average positivity rate was 9.7%

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are crediting a Mason City police dog with finding a 2-year-old boy who wandered with his dog from his family’s rural home and through a wooded are near a creek this week. The Globe Gazette reports that the incident happened Tuesday, when the boy’s family reported him and the dog missing. Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s deputies searched the property and called in a drone to help search for the boy, but it was Mason City K-9 Kilo who tracked the the boy along a creek to a neighbor’s property. The boy was found sitting on a cinder block with his dog by his side. Officers say he had taken off his wet shoes, socks and coat, but was not in need of medical attention.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The murder trial for a Sioux City man charged with killing his girlfriend’s 19-month-old daughter has been pushed back to next summer. The Sioux City Journal reports that a judge on Wednesday agreed to continue 24-year-old Tayvon Davis’ trial to July 13. Both prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to the continuation. Davis’ trial had been set to start next week. He has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, child endangerment resulting in the death of a child and multiple acts of child endangerment in the 2018 death of the toddler. An autopsy showed the girl had several blunt force injuries to her head and a kidney and had suffered fractures to her vertebrae and ribs.