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Iowa Scales Back Reporting Of Coronavirus Data

State health officials have updated their coronavirus website several times daily throughout the pandemic. On Wednesday, they will begin updating it once a week.
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State health officials have updated their coronavirus website several times daily throughout the pandemic. On Wednesday, they will begin updating it once a week.

Starting Wednesday, Iowa health officials are changing how often they’ll report COVID-19 data.

In a memo, officials said starting July 7 they will now update the state’s coronavirus website once a week on Wednesdays. Previously, they updated it several times daily throughout the pandemic.

They will continue to report positive cases, deaths, vaccine information and hospitalizations. But they have removed and archived several pages including long-term care outbreaks and Test Iowa assessments.

The move follows officials' announcement last month that they will close the remaining Test Iowa sites by July 16. They said testing has hit its lowest levels in a year, and they are preparing to offer Iowans free at-home testing kits. They have yet to release further details on the kits.

State health officials said in their memo that they plan to decommission the entire coronavirus website by late summer and will switch to reporting coronavirus information on the state health department’s website.

Officials said the move comes as other states and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have decreased the frequency that they are reporting coronavirus information.

But they said they are ready to reinstate some operations for Iowans if it becomes necessary.

Natalie Krebs is IPR's Health Reporter and collaborator with Side Effects Public Media. Krebs has expertise covering health news and issues, including maternal health and rural health care access. She's covered abortion access and women's health care in Iowa and the Midwest, news from Iowa's state health agencies, and medical care and health concerns for elders. Krebs is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.