Health

The Johnson County Board of Health has unanimously approved an ordinance requiring the use of face coverings in public, which the county attorney says will be enforceable once it's approved by the board of supervisors.

Black Hawk County officials are moving forward with a plan to reclaim local contact tracing, voicing concerns that the state is not adequately handling disease investigation for their local cases of the coronavirus.

Advocates and family members of incarcerated Iowans are gathering signatures and coordinating an email campaign, urging state officials to approve compassionate releases for inmates who are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus.

The pandemic has taken a toll on Iowa’s economy. Many jobs are coming back, but businesses are still searching for ways to reach customers.

New guidance from the governor regarding the start of the school year have left some families and educators concerned about the safety of their students and colleagues.

One man was slated to be released from the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility two weeks ago, but his transfer was delayed because of the coronavirus. A loved one says that since then, he's been exposed to the virus.

Linn County Supervisors plan to formally call on Gov. Kim Reynolds to authorize local mask mandates, as elected officials continue to grapple with how to get more residents to wear face coverings.

The Johnson County Board of Health approved the wording of a potential face covering mandate Tuesday night, and is slated to hear public comment and take a final vote on the ordinance next Monday.

Sioux City will require people to wear face coverings or masks while inside City Hall and a number of other city buildings as well as on city transit starting Wednesday to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Clients and staff at a Cedar Rapids homeless shelter are self-isolating after a client there tested positive for the coronavirus. The organization with working with public health officials to coordinate their response.