Iowans are left in the dark without timely COVID data

According to data released by the Iowa Department of Public Health late Wednesday, Iowa recorded 4,872 new COVID-19 cases since Aug. 4. Hospitalizations jumped from 214 a week ago to 355, and 103 patients are in ICUs, up from 61 last week. The number of total pandemic deaths recorded in Iowa has now surpassed 6,200.

These are numbers going in the wrong direction. The more contagious delta variant of the virus is spreading in our communities. Vaccination is the best defense against serious illness.

And yet, the health department also reports that it anticipates throwing away more than 200,000 vaccine doses set to expire. Although nearly 60 percent of eligible Iowans are fully vaccinated, vaccinations have lagged far below that number in many counties, particularly in rural areas. Early high demand for vaccines has stalled.

Amid these troubling developments, Gov. Kim Reynolds and her administration seem to be operating in an alternate reality, one where she has led us through a pandemic that has largely ended.

But clearly, as the numbers indicate, the pandemic is not over. The governor has admirably urged Iowans to get vaccinated, but also has supported measures intended to appease those who discount the pandemic’s severity and refuse to be vaccinated or wear masks. The mixed message likely has contributed to low vaccination rates in parts of the state.

The governor often says she trusts Iowans to do the right thing. The right thing for Reynolds to do now is begin a far more aggressive effort to convince Iowans to get vaccinated.

Iowans also need more information to help them do the right thing. The IDPH has halted daily COVID data updates and now only releases information on case counts, hospitalizations and deaths weekly, on Wednesdays. This week, the state’s COVID data website was updated at 11:45 p.m.

With the delta variant spreading, Iowans need timely public health information. Although Iowa has not seen the explosive outbreaks experienced in states such as Missouri, Arkansas and Florida, the ingredients for an outbreak here clearly exist. Iowa kids will be starting school in a couple of weeks, with districts prohibited from mandating masks or other mitigation efforts. Children 11 and under are not eligible to be vaccinated.

With so much at stake, we have a right to know how the pandemic is affecting Iowa on a daily basis. Switching to weekly reports may fulfill the governor’s wish to keep the virus out of daily headlines as she preps for reelection, but it leaves Iowans in the dark.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com