(Johnston) Governor Reynolds reported during her daily briefing today that six residents at the Woodward Resource Center tested positive for COVID-19.
Iowa Department of Human Services Director Kelly Garcia said the first case was confirmed on May 1. “As a precaution, we tested all individuals in this home who were asymptomatic at the time,” said Garcia. “To protect other residents in the home, those who test positive or have symptoms are transitioned to other homes on campus designated for positive cases.
“We’ve been working closing with IDPH, Boone County, and Public Health,” said Garcia. “We’ve also pulled in a team of doctors for additional technical assistance from the University of Iowa.”
Garcia said in March, DHS implemented travel protocols, banned inpatient visits, initiated daily screenings of staff and residents, and secured critical PPE equipment. “Our goal is to create an environment that when staff becomes ill, they feel supported, they notify us, stay home, and seek testing,” explained Garcia. “We will continue to follow strict protocols to prevent the further spread of this virus.
“To the residents, their guardians, and loved ones, and my team, I want you to know we will use every tool to at our disposal to support you,” said Garcia.
Eight employees of the Iowa DHS working at five different facilities also tested positive for COVID-19. One is an employee at the Independence Mental Health Institute in Independence.
