The majority of Iowa counties with the fastest increases in COVID-19 cases are areas where business restrictions have been relaxed, while smaller increases are seen in places such as Linn County, where some restrictions remain. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
State Senator Rob Hogg (D-Cedar Rapids) was among early voices to call for strong efforts to reduce the spread of the coronavirus in Iowa.
Hogg has since been closely following the number of confirmed cases and deaths from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus.
Just two days ago, Iowa saw an escalation in the number of COVID-19 deaths, with 19 in a single day, while at the same time, Governor Kim Reynolds has been allowing businesses to reopen in the state.
More: Iowa COVID-19 deaths escalate; businesses with outbreaks named
With 655 new cases on Thursday, May 7, 2020, Iowa now has 11,059 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and with another 12 deaths, so far, 231 Iowans have died from the coronavirus.
Rob Hogg speaks last year in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (photo/Cindy Hadish)
On May 7, Hogg released a Top 25 list of counties with the fastest increases in cases, showing the majority are where Reynolds loosened restrictions last week.
Counties where the public health emergency order remains in place are: Allamakee, Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Dallas, Des Moines, Dubuque, Fayette, Henry, Iowa, Jasper, Johnson, Linn, Louisa, Marshall, Muscatine, Polk, Poweshiek, Scott, Tama, Washington and Woodbury.
Reynolds has gradually relaxed restrictions statewide, including on religious services and beginning May 8, on businesses even in those 22 counties with restrictions. Reynolds has said she is watching the data and has increased testing, but would not say what might happen in counties where restrictions have been relaxed if cases increase.
Related: Campgrounds, malls and more allowed to reopen
Already, data compiled by Hogg shows that cases in those 77 counties where restrictions were relaxed May 1 is on the rise.
See the Top 25 list and more from Hogg:
CEDAR RAPIDS – State Senator Rob Hogg (D-Cedar Rapids) released a Top 25 list for the counties with the fastest increases in confirmed COVID-19 cases. Twenty of the 25 counties in the Top 25 are in the 77 counties where Gov. Reynolds loosened restrictions on May 1.
“Since April 30, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the 77 counties where Gov. Reynolds loosened restrictions has more than doubled,” Hogg said. “She urgently needs to reinstate restrictions in the counties driving that increase to save lives, protect workers, and slow down and stop the spread of COVID-19 to end the epidemic sooner. It is only by ending the epidemic that we can safely and successfully reopen our economy.”
The only counties which had continued restrictions that made the Top 25 were Polk (No. 16), Dallas (No. 17), Woodbury (No. 22), Des Moines (No. 24), and Jasper (No. 25).
“To think that Polk County, with its staggering increase over the last week, only came in at Number 16 shows how fast COVID-19 cases in the rest of the state are increasing,” Hogg said.
Counties should not feel comfort that they are in not in the Top 25, Hogg cautioned. “The increases in COVID-19 in all parts of our state are significant. We urgently need Iowans to help us stop the spread of COVID-19 by staying home if at all possible and using distancing and masks if you must go out in public.”
Here are the Top 25 counties with the fastest COVID-19 Increases in the first week of May (minimum four case increase):
1. Wapello: 1550% increase – from 10 cases on April 30 to 165 cases on May 7.
2. Audubon: 700% increase – from 1 case on April 30 to 8 cases on May 7.
3. Davis: 600% increase – from 1 case on April 30 to 7 cases on May 7
4. Crawford: 417% increase – from 24 cases on April 30 to 124 cases on May 7
5. Buena Vista: 350% increase – from 4 cases on April 30 to 18 cases on May 7
6. Plymouth: 267% increase – from 12 cases on April 30 to 44 cases on May 7
7. Franklin: 250% increase – from 2 cases on April 30 to 7 cases on May 7
8. Sioux: 244% increase – from 9 cases on April 30 to 31 cases on May 7
9. Appanoose: 200% increase – from 2 cases on April 30 to 6 cases on May 7
(tie) Keokuk: 200% increase – from 2 cases on April 30 to 6 cases on May 7
11. Boone: 175% increase – from 12 cases on April 30 to 33 cases on May 7
12. Guthrie: 167% increase – from 12 cases on April 30 to 32 cases on May 7
13. Greene: 160% increase – from 5 cases on April 30 to 13 cases on May 7
14. Pottawattamie: 115% increase – from 33 cases on April 30 to 71 cases on May 7
15. Lee: 113% increase – from 8 cases on April 30 to 17 cases on May 7
16. Polk: 108% increase – from 985 cases on April 30 to 2,053 cases on May 7
17. Dallas: 103% increase – from 318 cases on April 30 to 644 cases on May 7
18. Mahaska: 100% increase – from 10 cases on April 30 to 20 cases on May 7
(tie) Madison: 100% increase – from 5 cases on April 30 to 10 cases on May 7
(tie) Clay: 100% increase – from 4 cases on April 30 to 8 cases on May 7
21. Story: 92.6% increase – from 27 cases on April 30 to 52 cases on May 7
22. Woodbury: 92.6% increase – from 742 cases on April 30 to 1,429 cases on May 7
23. Osceola: 88.9% increase – from 9 cases on April 30 to 17 cases on May 7
24. Des Moines: 81.3% increase – from 16 cases on April 30 to 29 cases on May 7
25. Jasper: 76.2% increase – from 130 cases on April 30 to 229 cases on May 7
Rate of increase in other counties increasing by 4 or more cases: Dubuque (71.6%), O’Brien (62.5%), Warren (59.1%), Monona (57.1%), Marion (50%), Marshall (46.9%), Grundy (45.5%), Shelby (44.4%), Jones (42.9%), Poweshiek (39.3%), Iowa (36.8%), Clayton (35.7%), Muscatine (31.3%), Henry (31.3%), Cedar (31.0%), Buchanan (29.4%), Black Hawk (27.2%), Allamakee (22.2%), Scott (21.2%), Tama (20.7%), Linn (20.3%), Fayette (20%), Johnson (17.8%), Benton (12.9%), Clinton (10.4%), Washington (9.2%), Bremer (9.8%), Louisa (4.1%).
There’s only more because they’re testing more. leave it to Boss Hogg to make it political
Hospitalizations and deaths also continue to rise, which negates that argument about the reason cases are increasing. Pointing out statistics isn’t political and in fact, the governor said she would use data to guide her decisions.
Exactly the reason why testing should have been conducted back in Jan. and Feb. at the latest……trumpee didn’t want it to affect his campaigning..He had available a CDC that knew how to respond….but when you are a wanna be dik-tater, you can get away with -even murder! He knew about the possibility of a pandemic back in May of 2017… BUT when you refuse to be briefed even by your own man, Dan Coats on the INTEL report to the Senate….this is what happens.!
does that mean they didn’t exist before testing? even if some were asymptomatic they still increase chance for spread
“‘To think that Polk County, with its staggering increase over the last week, only came in at Number 16 shows how fast COVID-19 cases in the rest of the state are increasing,’ Hogg said.”
No, comparing raw numbers (Polk County) with percentages (counties that started with almost no cases and still have very few cases) shows nothing of the sort. In fact, it shows nothing at all.
The democratic legislature representative just making it political. Pottawattamie counties increase is minimal based on population and total number of cases. Also restrictions may have been lifted but majority of businesses have not fully opened with eased restrictions even though they can. Social distancing still being practiced. Hogg needs to shelve the political agenda. Iowans are smarter than him as he disguised his concern with a political agenda. Fact