(Des Moines) – Iowa’s COVID-19 positivity rates and hospitalizations continue to decline. The Iowa Department of Public Health as of 10-a.m. Saturday, 489 new positive COVID-19 cases for a total of 392,105, and three additional deaths for a total of 5,907 since the start of the pandemic. Deaths at long-term care facilities in Iowa account for 2,309 of the total number of deaths statewide.

Iowa’s positivity rates are continuing to decline slowly. The 7-day average declined from 4.0% Friday to 3.9% Saturday, and the 14-day average declined from 4.2% to 41%. Virus hospitalizations amount to 209, down from 217 a day earlier. There are 48 patients in ICU and 22 patients on ventilators.

In RMCC Regional 4 (hospitals in western/southwest Iowa): 26 COVID patients are hospitalized; 8 are in an ICU; 2 were admitted with symptoms of the virus, and there remain four persons on a ventilator.

Urbandale Health Care Center is the only long-term care facility in the state reporting a virus outbreak There are 18 positive cases and 11 recoveries among residents and staff within that facility.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County; The # of new cases since yesterday {+} if any; and the total number of deaths in each county to date:

Cass, 1,443 cases; {+7}; 54 deaths
Adair, 970; {+0}; 32
Adams, 342 {+0}; 4
Audubon, 514 {+1}; 9
Guthrie, 1,271 {+5}; 29
Harrison County, 1,905; {+1}; 73
Madison County, 1,701; {+2; 19
Mills County, 1,763; {+4}; 20
Montgomery, 1,097 {+2}; 37
Pottawattamie County, 11,954; {+30}; 164
Shelby County, 1,350 {+1}; 37
Union County, 1,316; {+1}; 32

(Updated with ISP corrected info).) A two vehicle accident in the Denison High School parking on Friday night ended with a fiery vehicle and two teens injured. The Iowa State Patrol reports the accident took place Friday night at 10:45 p.m. in the north parking lot of the school.

A 2014 Chevy Silverado driven by 17-year-old August J. Boettger of Arion and a 2004 Ford Ranger driven by 16-year-old Eduardo Gutierrez of Denison, collided head on while both traveling at a high rate of speed. Both vehicles came to rest a short distance away from the crash and the Silverado caught on fire.

Gutierrez was taken from the scene by EMS personnel to Crawford County Memorial Hospital and later flown to UNMC in Omaha by Lifenet. Boettger was safely removed from the Silverado and taken by personal vehicle to Crawford County Hospital to be checked out.

No status on the two individuals is known at this time and no further details of the crash have been provided.

(Des Moines, IA) Following the announcement Friday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have lifted the pause on the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) recommends that any vaccine provider in the state who has available Johnson & Johnson vaccine resume administration, effective immediately. 

The pause was recommended after reports of six cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals following administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The FDA and CDC are confident that the vaccine is safe and effective in preventing COVID-19 symptoms. They have stated that they will remain vigilant in investigating the risk of TTS blod clots but data suggests the risk is very low.

More information can be found on the CDC website here.

The State of Iowa has a new Medicaid director. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced the hiring of her current health policy adviser Elizabeth Matney to the Medicaid post. Matney will take over as director on June 1st. Matney has a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from Drake University and a bachelor’s in psychology and philosophy from Texas State University.

Iowa’s Medicaid program oversees care for more than 700,000 poor and disabled Iowans. The program has been much maligned since former Governor Terry Branstad turned it over to private insurers.