Gov. Kim Reynolds announced in her press conference Wednesday that the number of positive cases for COVID-19 in Iowa has increased by 97, reaching a total of 1145. Iowa’s death toll rose by one to make 27 deaths total.

Reynolds said Worth County has its first case bringing the total of counties with positive cases up to 79.

She also said 122 patients with COVID-19 are currently hospitalized as of April 7, but of all positive cases 431, or 38 percent, have recovered.

According to the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), the additional death was an elderly adult (81+) in Linn County.

According to IDPH, the locations and age ranges of the 97 individuals include:

• One adult (18-40 years) and one older adult (61-80 years) in Allamakee County.
• One child (0-17 years) in Benton County.
• One adult (18-40 years) and three middle-age adults (41-60 years) in Black Hawk County.
• Three adults (18-40 years) and one older adult (61-80 years) in Cedar County.
• One adult (18-40 years) and one middle-age adult (41-60 years) in Clinton County.
• One adult (18-40 years) in Crawford County.
• One adult (18-40 years) in Harrison County.
• Two adults (18-40 years) in Henry County.
• Ten adults (18-40 years), one middle-age adult (41-60 years) and two older adults (61-80 years) in Johnson County.
• One child (0-17 years), four adults (18-40 years), one middle-age adult (41-60 years), three older adults (61-80 years) and two elderly adults (81+) in Linn County.
• Four adults (18-40 years), five middle-age adults (41-60 years) and one older adult (61-80 years) in Louisa County.
• One adult (18-40 years) in Marshall County.
• Four adults (18-40 years), five middle-age adults (41-60 years) and one older adult (61-80 years) in Muscatine County.
• Two adults (18-40 years), four middle-age adults (41-60 years) and one older adult (61-80 years) in Polk County.
• One middle-age adult (41-60 years) and one older adult (61-80 years) in Pottawattamie County.
• Four adults (18-40 years), seven middle-age adults (41-60 years) and one older adult (61-80 years) in Scott County.
• One adult (18-40 years), one middle-age adult (41-60 years) and two older adults (61-80 years) in Tama County.
• One elderly adult (81+) in Warren County.
• Three adults (18-40 years), one middle-age adult (41-60 years) and one older adult (61-80 years) in Washington County.
• One older adult (61-80 years) in Webster County.
• Two middle-age adults (41-60 years) in Woodbury County.
• One middle-age adult (41-60 years) in Worth County.

A topic Reynolds touched on heavily in her press conference was economic relief for Iowa businesses.

“Currently we are leveraging state and federal assistance to provide much-needed relief to Iowa workers and businesses now and to help get them through this challenging time until we are fully open for business again,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds discussed the Small Business Relief Program, which was announced two weeks ago.

“The Small Business Relief Program, a one-stop-shop for Iowa businesses to seek assistance through tax deferral, including sales and withholding taxes, and grants to assist with short term cash flow needs,” Reynolds said.

The Iowa Department of Revenue has received 5,700 tax deferral applications and expects to approve another 2,300 this week while continuing to review the rest.

The Small Business Relief Program grants were also in high demand according to Reynolds. The Iowa Economic Development Authority received nearly 14,000 applications from Iowa businesses, requesting a total of more than $148 million.

Reynolds said the application will remain open through April.

During the press conference, Reynolds announced that the program will be expanding from $4 million to $24 million, which is being provided by the state Economic Emergency Fund and the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

“The first round of funding will assist more than 500 restaurants, bars, breweries, that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Reynolds said. “These businesses were among the first to close their normal operations and it is our goal to get them back up and running as soon as possible.”

Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority, said the first round of funding went out on April 7 for a total of $10 million. She said they would continue to send out rounds in the next few days until they hit the $24 million cap.

“Our small businesses are the backbone of our communities and we are working closely with the governor to leverage resources to assist as many of them as possible,” Durham said.

During the press conference, Reynolds also discussed the Regional Medical Coordination Centers (RMCC), which divides Iowa into six regions and details how hospitals in those regions are keeping up during the outbreak.

“The RMCCs have been established by the Iowa National Guard to support the Iowa Department of Public Health and our Iowa Healthcare Coalitions,” Reynolds said. “The RMCCs help facilitate communication, critical information sharing and coordination of healthcare resources in a region or across the state if needed.”

During Wednesday’s press conference, Reynolds discussed Region 1 and Region 2.

Region 1 includes the following counties: Adair, Appanoose, Boone, Carroll, Clarke, Dallas, Davis, Decatur, Greene, Guthrie, Jasper, Lucas, Madison, Mahaska, Marion, Marshall, Monroe, Polk, Poweshiek, Ringgold, Story, Tama, Union, Warren and Wayne.

In Region 1 there are 33 patients hospitalized, 11 patients in ICU and six patients on ventilators. There are 1,433 inpatient beds available, 179 ICU beds available and 221 ventilators available.

Region 2 includes the following counties: Butler, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Floyd, Franklin, Hancock, Hardin, Kossuth, Mitchell, Winnebago, Worth and Wright.

In Region 2 there are two patients hospitalized, one patient in ICU and one patient on a ventilator. There are 231 inpatient beds available, 11 ICU beds available and 26 ventilators available.

Reynolds continued to assure that Iowa’s hospital capacity is strong and that the patient volume is manageable. She said that if one RMCC required resources then other RMCCs would facilitate moving resources there.

“This is the purpose of establishing the RMCC model now so that we are ready to respond to any situation that may unfold,” Reynolds said.

Sarah Reisetter, deputy director for the Iowa Department of Public Health, said Iowa is experiencing personal protective equipment shortages, but the state has enough beds and ventilators at this time.