DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has been notified of 85 additional positive cases of Iowans with COVID-19, for a total of 699 positive cases. There have been a total of 8,764 negative tests to date, which includes testing reported by the State Hygienic Lab and other labs. The latest cases were scattered through 31 counties, from Lyon County in the state’s northwest corner to Van Buren County in southeast Iowa. Polk County had 13 cases and Linn County had 14. The statewide total rose to 699 cases. No additional deaths were reported in Iowa.

The latest data show 80 people have been hospitalized with the virus, 58 who were hospitalized are recovering at home, while 415 were never hospitalized and are self-isolating at home. 11 people have died from the virus, which is unchanged from Thursday.

According to IDPH, the locations and age ranges of the 85 individuals include:

• Allamakee County, 1 adult (18-40 years)
• Clayton County, 1 adult (18-40 years)
• Clinton County, 4 middle age adults (41-60 years), 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Crawford County, 1 middle age adult (41-60), 2 older adults (61-80 years)
• Dallas County, 2 older adults (61-80 years)
• Dubuque County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Fayette County, 1 middle-age adult (41-60 years)
• Henry County, 1 middle-age adult (41-60 years)
• Jackson County, 1 middle-age adult (41-60 years)
• Jasper County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Jefferson County, 1 adult (18-40 years)
• Johnson County, 1 adult (18-40 years), 2 middle-age adults (41-60 years)
• Linn County, 1 adult (18-40 years), 2 middle-age adults (41-60 years), 5 older adults (61-80 years), 6 elderly adults (81+)
• Louisa County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Lyon County, 1 middle-age adult (41-60 years)
• Marshall County, 1 adult (18-40 years)
• Monona County, 1 elderly (81+)
• Muscatine County, 1 adult (18-40 years), 1 middle-age adult (41-60 years), 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• O’Brien County, 1 middle-age adult (41-60 years)
• Plymouth County, 1 adult (18-40 years)
• Polk County, 6 adults (18-40 years), 6 middle-age adults (41-60 years), 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Pottawattamie County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Scott County, 4 middle-age adults (41-60 years), 2 older adults (61-80 years)
• Shelby County, 1 older adult (61-80 years), 1 elderly adult (81+)
• Sioux County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Story County, 1 adult (18-40 years)
• Tama County, 3 adults (18-40 years), 1 middle-age adult (41-60 years), 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Van Buren County, 1 adult (18-40 years), 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Warren County, 1 adult (18-40 years), 1 middle-age adult (41-60 years)
• Washington County, 2 adults (18-40 years), 3 middle-age adults (41-60 years), 2 older adults (61-80 years)
• Woodbury County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)

A status report of monitoring and testing of COVID19 in Iowa is provided by IDPH and can be found here. In addition, a public hotline has been established for Iowans with questions about COVID-19. The line is available 24/7 by calling 2-1-1 or 1-800-244-7431. The state of Iowa has started sharing the number of negative tests conducted at outside labs, and is providing additional information on the conditions of those infected with COVID-19.

NOTE: There is not a positive case in Delaware County. After further investigation, the case is attributed to Linn County. Maps and other materials are updated.

Gov. Reynolds will hold a press conference today at 2:30 p.m. The press conference will be livestreamed and posted in full on Governor Reynolds’ Facebook Page.

A report at around 8:50-p.m. Thursday about a burglary in Council Bluffs, resulted in an arrest. The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office say 25-year old Christian Edward Rexilius (No  city of residence listed), was taken into custody for: Burglary in the 2nd Degree [Breaking and Entering] (w/a person present – no injuries), Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree (Destruction/Damage of Property), and Providing False ID information. His bond was set at $10,600 altogether.

And, a prisoner at the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln, NE., was transported to the Pott. County Jail this morning. 47-year old Steven M. Morlan was wanted in Pottawattamie County on a warrant for Violation of Probation.

(Radio Iowa) — State public health officials have drawn up a map that divides the state into six sections. They’re tracking COVID-19 developments in each area and the Iowa Press Citizen obtained the point system being used to determine if or when Governor Reynolds issues a shelter-in-place order. Dr. Caitlin Pedati, the State Medical Director, says a key factor they’re following is the number of outbreaks in nursing homes. “It’s important to keep that in mind because we’ve seen the experiences of other countries and other states,” Pedati says, “and how challenging it can be to care for those populations in those situations.”

Earlier this week, state officials revealed there IS an outbreak at a nursing home in Cedar Rapids, but on Thursday they declined to reveal whether there are outbreaks at other facilities. Other factors state officials are tracking are the percentage of people in each part of the state who’re over the age of 65 and the percentage of Iowans in each of the six zones who’ve been hospitalized for treatment of COVID-19. Governor Kim Reynolds says the analysis helps deploy resources. “We can identify where some of the hotspots (are at. Is it in a region?” Reynolds asks. “So we can focus in and make sure that we are getting the equipment there, we have a workforce, we have the surge capacity in place — so that we don’t overwhelm some of our hospital systems.”

State officials have now released the map showing these ratings to the public. It appears to divide the state based on which major hospitals would treat seriously ill patients in each region.  “As we learn more and we take a look at other assumptions and data that’s available, we’ll continue to monitor the situation,” Reynolds says. The map shows segments of eastern Iowa with a score of seven out of 10. A score of 10 would trigger a shelter-in-place order from the governor. Reynolds said earlier this week she might issue such an order for a region rather than for the entire state.

(In an update our earlier posted and on-air reports) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says a woman from Cumberland was injured during a rollover accident this (Friday) morning. Officials say 44-year-old Jennifer Lea Brisky was driving a 2005 Chevy Colorado pickup westbound on Lansing Road near the intersection with 680th Street (or, about half-way between Cumberland and Wiota) at around 6:49-a.m., when the vehicle went out of control due to the icy conditions. The pickup hit an embankment and rolled into the north ditch, where it landed on its top.

Authorities report Brisky was transported to Medivac Ambulance to the Cass County Memorial Memorial Hospital, in Atlantic.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Two of the largest banks in Iowa say they aren’t ready to take applications for the $349 billion small business aid program that began Friday. MidwestOne Bank and Bankers Trust announced late Thursday that they still do not have enough information from the Small Business Administration to proceed. Both indicated they would begin processing applications as soon as they had the answers to key questions. A MidwestOne vice president told customers that banks “do not yet have critical program details” and warned that submitting inaccurate or incorrect applications would delay their aid. Des Moines-based Bankers Trust says it’s disappointed in the lack of guidance and delay.

Officials with the Audubon, as well as the Exira-EHK Community School Districts, are following Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Dept. of Education recommendations, to remain closed through April 30th. Audubon Superintendent Eric Trager says parents and students are asked to “Please continue to check your email for schoolwork suggestions from teachers.” The administration says they “Are currently working on our plan for the Department of Ed to abide by their rules.”

Exira-EHK Superintendent Trevor Miller says “Exira-EHK teachers have been working hard to provide information for our students the past three weeks. Our administrative team will be meeting with the DLT team to discuss what continuous learning will look like for our students. Details about our plans will be released next week, with a target to begin online instruction for students PK-12 starting the week of April 13th. Stay tuned for more info in the next few days and STAY SAFE!”

Other districts are expected to announce in the coming days, their plans to follow the Governor and Iowa DOE recommendations.

(Radio Iowa) — Dozens of Iowa prison inmates are working to expand the state’s stockpiles of personal protective equipment and hand sanitizer. According to the Department of Corrections, about 75 men and women in state prisons are making thousands of fabric masks and gowns, with plans to expand to face shields. D-O-C spokesman Cord Overton says the inmates are working “virtually around the clock.” “We want to make sure we can take care of those that are actually producing these products and make sure that we have the products that we need for our own safety,” Overton says, “and then we’ll be shifting all of that supply to go out to the rest of the state of Iowa through state Homeland Security and Emergency Management.”

Once the department’s needs are met, supplies will go to the state stockpile, to be distributed to county emergency managers as needed. “And then the shipments all will be all going to the state stockpile, to be distributed across the state to those areas that need it, whether it be hospitals or first responders,” Overton says.

The inmates are being paid between a dollar and a dollar-25 an hour. Health care providers in Iowa are being directed to re-use P-P-E in certain cases, due to shortages.

(Reporting by Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)