Gazette Daily News Podcast, July 21

It will be back above 90 again Thursday. According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny with a high near 93 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. Thursday night it will be mostly clear, with a low of around 65 degrees. There will be a small chance of rain Thursday night going into Friday morning.

Johnson County Public Health has confirmed the first case of monkeypox within the county, making for the fifth confirmed case in the state — and the first one in the Corridor.

County public health officials said in an announcement they were working with the Iowa Department of Public Health to investigate the circumstances of the individual’s exposure and to inform close contacts of the exposure. No other details were shared on the case.

Infection from the monkeypox virus occurs through skin-to-skin contact and through contact with an infected individual’s rash or sores or touching the clothing and bedding that has been in contact with those rashes or sores. The virus can also spread through respiratory secretions during prolonged face-to-face contact, such as kissing. Monkeypox is not considered a sexually transmitted infection, but it often spreads through intimate contact.

Monkeypox causes flu-like symptoms such as fever and chills, and a rash that can take weeks to clear.

Not to be outdone, COVID-19 is continuing its rise in Iowa.

After reporting a significant spike in case counts last week, Iowa reported new COVID-19 infections statewide reached 5,301 cases in the past seven days. Last week, the state reported 5,187 new cases — a 30 percent jump from the 3,980 cases reported the week before. The spike came after infections remained in the 3,900 range for a month.

The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the past week reached 256 statewide. That’s an increase from the 229 patients reported last week.

The state public health department has confirmed 41 more Iowans have died as a result of the coronavirus in the past week. Last week, the state had confirmed 15 deaths.

A new coronavirus subvariant — BA.5 — that has an increased level of transmissibility has become the dominant variant in the United States. As case counts and hospitalizations increase statewide and nationally, local public health and health care experts are urging residents to use increased caution. In addition to being highly transmissible, this subvariant can infect some individuals with vaccine immunity as well as those who have had the virus before.

In non virus news, the city of Cedar Rapids is paring down its request for a share of $100 million in state-awarded federal funds from $27 million down to $8.4 million.

The reduction was done after a suggestion by staff members from the Iowa Economic Development Authority, which is overseeing the rewards for projects across the state. State officials created the Destination Iowa program with federal COVID-19 economic relief funds and invited local governments to apply for a share of the money.

The revised application includes major destination features from the original application in a “LightLine Loop” project totaling $25.6 million that hones in on the Czech Village greenway space. This largely encompasses a roundhouse, recreation zone and plaza area, with a focus on how the funds would boost tourism and recreation.

So far, Gov. Kim Reynolds and the IEDA have awarded $16.5 million in grant money to four projects in the first round of funding through Destination Iowa, including the development of a “Field of Dreams” television series, new trail construction and new Des Moines lakefront amenities.