(8-a.m. News) (Griswold, Iowa) – While other school districts in Iowa (predominantly the larger cities) are enacting mask mandates as a means to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Griswold School District Superintendent Dave Henrichs says that’s not the case in his District.

(There will be no mask mandate, but the school will implement its COVID Tracker again this year on the District’s website, indicating how many students and staff have tested positive. To date, he says, there have been 8 students [2 elementary &, 6 MS/HS students] that have tested positive. No teachers have tested positive. All have recovered with the exception of one HS student.)

Last year at this same time, there were 10 positive cases. With regard to District Enrollment, Mr. Henrichs said there were 79 students who open enrolled-out, and 22 who open enrolled-in. The out numbers sustained, meaning they actually gained three overall-in students. Henrichs said also, a group working on a daycare facility spoke with the Board Monday evening.

The Board Monday, approved district personnel changes/hires and resignations.

And, the Griswold School Board approved Lifetime Activity passes, with certain criteria in mind, for former Griswold educators, staff and certain volunteers.

A man from Osceola was arrested Monday night, in Creston. Authorities say 25-year-old Adrian Ramos Maciel was taken into custody at around 8:45-p.m., in the 300 block of N. Pine Street in Creston, for OWI/1st offense. He was later released on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Public Health released new COVID-19 data on Monday. The health department said 11,138 additional positive virus tests in the last 7 days, down from 11,439 the previous seven-day period. That brings the total positive tests to 472,681 since the start of the pandemic. Iowa’s 14-day positivity rate is up from 9.2% to 9.4%. Those 18 and under account for 29% of positive cases, by far the largest group. However, that age group accounts for only 7% of those hospitalized with COVID-19.

The state reports 579 patients hospitalized with the virus, down from 581 from the last report. IDPH reports 78% of those hospitalized with COVID-19 are not fully vaccinated, while 90% of those in ICU for COVID-19 are not vaccinated. There are now COVID-19 outbreaks reported in 29 long-term care facilities.

The number of Iowans vaccinated against the virus continues to tick upward. The health department reports 3,395,253 vaccine doses administered in the state, with 65.2% of those 18 and older fully vaccinated and 67.8% of those 12 and older with at least one dose.

(Radio Iowa) – Staff and students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in the Decorah school district will have to mask up starting next Monday after the school board voted for a universal mask mandate at a special meeting last (Monday) night. Superintendent Mark Lane says the mandate will be in effect until four week after a vaccine for five to eleven year olds is readily available locally. The board made the decision in light of the news that Fizer will seek FDA approval to provide COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 5-11.

A federal judge recently halted enforcement of a state law which was passed in May which prohibited school districts from enacting mask mandates. Governor Reynolds has said the state will appeal that ruling. Decorah becomes the 11th school district in the state to enact some sort of mask mandate since the federal court ruling. Decorah and Linn-Mar have enacted PK through sixth grade mask mandates. Ames, Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Iowa City, Urbandale, West Burlington and West Des Moines all enacted PK-12th grade mask mandates.