The Jasper County Health Department is working closely with the Iowa Department of Public Health, as well as local partners, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of Wednesday, Jasper County had a total of 53 number of positive cases, 27 of those cases have recovered and 348 people have been tested. The cases that are being reported from labs, including the State Hygienic Lab, reside in Jasper County. Jasper County Health Department is not allowed, by law, to release information about these positive cases to the public. This includes names, addresses, places of employment and other personal information.
“We understand that Jasper County residents have lots of questions,” said Becky Pryor, administrator at Jasper County Public Health. “The Iowa Department of Public Health continues to provide the public with information online, as well as through a variety of hotlines.”
A public hotline has been established for Iowans with questions about COVID-19. The line is available 24/7 by calling 2-1-1 or 1-800-244-7431.
Iowans experiencing a legal problem related to the coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis, such as eviction, denial of unemployment benefits, employment issues or identity theft, should call the hotline. The COVID-19 Legal Advice Hotline number is 1-800-332-0419.
The Jasper County Emergency Management Agency, alongside the Jasper County Health Department, have activated the Emergency Operations Center and released a central hub for COVID-19 resources in Jasper County. That website can be found at jasperema-hls.org/jasper-disaster.
In addition to investigations done of positive cases, the Jasper County Health Department is also working with the EOC and partners, to provide information to businesses in Jasper County to continue to keep residents healthy and safe.
Iowa Department of Public Health issued guidance for Iowa businesses which includes preventing, detecting and managing outbreaks (10 percent of a business’s workforce) which has been shared with businesses in Jasper County. Jasper County Health Department does continue to work with businesses as needed. Businesses are being told to implement measures to enable social distancing as much as possible, prioritize hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette among employees.