Individual assistance in response to the derecho was signed by the president, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said.

Individual assistance would provide funding for homeowners recovering from the derecho beyond what their insurance would provide. Gov. Reynolds discussed this and the COVID-19 crisis during a Thursday press conference. 

Aside from the Aug. 10 storm, Iowa’s positive cases of COVID-19 for the month of August are at a rate of 6.9% and 44% percent of the positive cases are among adults ages 18 to 40.

Adults within the 18 to 40 age demographic are at a lower risk for illness and are highly likely to transmit it to others. Reynolds said this is why virus activity among college age and young adults continue to be a concern.

There has been a gradual increase in hospitalization rates and long term care facility outbreaks, Reynolds said this is for a variety of different reasons such as the disaster of the derecho, the increase in elective procedures and individuals putting off going to the doctor and addressing concerns.

“So taking a step back and just remembering even if you aren’t sick, if you aren’t acting responsibly you could be spreading COVID-19,” Reynolds said. “For the kids that are back in school, not just to your roommates or your classmates, but to those individuals that are out and congregating, you are potentially spreading that to co-workers, grandparents, parents and others with health conditions that make COVID-19 more serious for them. So again we ask that you please consider the consequences of your actions especially if you work in a health care setting, a long term care facility or a school.”

Reynolds said Iowa schools will need to be flexible when dealing with the rapidly changing face of COVID-19. By next week, the majority of Iowa schools will be back in session. 

“The team at the Department of Education and the Department Public of Health continue to help with school district to answer questions, help them with layered mitigation strategies and other approaches to safely and responsibly reopen schools,” Reynolds said. “It is going to require a significant amount of collaboration at the local and state levels, so we can be prepared to keep students learning while keeping teacher, staff, students and families safe. There just is no one size fits all approach to reopening schools, but we are here to work with school districts to find what works for them.”

As schools prepare to open, there is a critical need for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Iowa Department of Education worked together to survey 277 school districts to find out what they need in PPE. 

The provided 30-day supply will include no-touch thermometers, face shields, face masks — both cloths and disposable — hand sanitizer, bleach, liquid disinfectant and disinfectant wipes.

The supplies will be delivered to counties to then be picked up by school districts in each county, those impacted by derecho will receive supplies when they are ready.

Reynolds also addressed limitations in the state’s health reporting system when recording data, and although the limitations have been managed, there is a critical need to upgrade the state’s information and technology infrastructure.

“It is something that I have been passionate about, it is something that has been a priority of mine since being elected governor and I think this is just another indication of how important it is to take a look at the IT infrastructure and get it updated,” Reynolds said. “I do want to thank Iowans that use the data that we provide, who dig into it and raise questions when they have them. We continue to encourage that, it helps us constantly improve the data and the transparency that we are striving to provide Iowans through the pandemic.”