Relatively quiet past week of lowest COVID-19 case count in a month jolted by Allamakee County’s fourth virus-related death, single-day surge attributed to area targeted testing effort

A relatively quiet past week of a comparatively low count of new COVID-19 cases in Allamakee County received a couple unsettling jolts both early and late in the week. Those jolts included the fourth death of an Allamakee County resident attributed to complications from COVID-19 to start last week, and a one-day double-digit jump in new positive cases reported later in the week that seemed to coincide with targeted testing in the area and accounted for 10 of this past week’s 14 new cases - the lowest total number of new cases reported for the county by the State of Iowa in a week’s time since early April, one month ago.

The past week began with back-to-back days, Tuesday and Wednesday, May 5 and 6, with zero new cases reported, but that bit of positive news was overshadowed with the report of the county’s fourth death related to COVID-19, as 74-year-old Gary Bahr of Waukon (see full obituary on Page 3A this week) had his life claimed by complications from the virus. Bahr had battled the disease since early April, being hospitalized in La Crosse, WI, before finally succumbing to the infection and having his death reported by the Iowa Department of Public Health Tuesday, May 5. Bahr’s wife, Carol, also lost her life to complications of the virus infection in mid-April.

The remainder of the week included one additional day with no new cases, Saturday, May 9; two days with just one case reported, Thursday and Monday, May 7 and 11; and one day with two new cases, Friday, May 8. The past week’s second jolt came Sunday, May 9 when 10 new cases were reported, with Sunday’s double-digit spike in new cases coinciding with targeted testing conducted in the area within the past week, including at the AgriStar meat processing facility in Postville. Additional details about that May 5 targeted testing in Postville can be found in the article beginning in the shaded box on Page 1A of this week’s edition.

ADDITIONAL TESTING
In addition to targeted testing at AgriStar, Prairie Industries in neighboring Prairie du Chien, WI  also conducted a targeted testing scenario Tuesday, May 5 at one of its three plants located in Prairie du Chien after multiple employees in what the company called its “PI North Facility” in Prairie du Chien tested positive for COVID-19. That “PI North Facility” employs a diverse number of individuals from neighboring counties, including Allamakee and Clayton counties in Iowa, according to company officials who spoke at a media briefing following the May 5 testing. It was also noted at that briefing that the first confirmed case of COVID-19 involving a Prairie Industries employee was reported by a “neighboring county”, where the person resides, and there is no evidence that the individual contracted the virus from inside the plant.

In addition to the three Prairie du Chien, WI plants, Prairie Industries also operates a plant in Lansing, in addition to two subsidiary plants under the NuPak name in Boscobel, WI. Company officials said at their May 5 media briefing that they do not believe there is any risk of cross contamination within its other plants as any interactions of individuals between the plants has been limited and closely monitored.

Prairie Industries had initially suspended its second shift at its “PI North Facility” for the last week in April following the initial positive COVID-19 test in an employee. After two more cases were later reported, May 1 the company decided on its own to shut down that north facility until testing of employees could be completed and results returned. Those test results were expected to be available within 48 hours following the May 5 testing, but no other information has been released by Prairie Industries, and Crawford County Emergency Management in Wisconsin has not reported a significant spike in positive cases since the testing, nor have the neighboring Iowa counties of Allamakee and Clayton that can be directly attributed to the Prairie Industries testing.

Although Allamakee County did report 10 new positive cases Sunday, May 10, public health officials could not confirm whether that single-day spike during an otherwise quieter week in case count could be directly attributed to either the AgriStar testing or the Prairie Industries testing.

REVAMPED STATE WEBSITE CHANGES DATA REPORTED
The State of Iowa website, www.coronavirus.iowa.gov, dedicated to reporting and updating information regarding coronavirus statistics and other information was revamped in its format early last week. That change removed such information as certain statistical information solely from the past 24-hour reporting period, along with county-by-county breakdowns of such things as age range of new cases and number of individuals recovered in each county. State of Iowa officials have not returned a reply to inquiries as to why that information is no longer being reported on the website.

RESTRICTIONS BEGIN TO BE LIFTED
Allamakee County had been one of 22 counties in the state of Iowa under stronger restrictions based on increasing case count and lack of stabilization in that count, along with number of hospitalizations and other metrics. A perceived recent turning of that trend resulted in Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds lessening some restrictions, including opening up campgrounds statewide and the resuming of some dental services as of Friday, May 8.

Within the 22 counties that had been under those tighter restrictions, including more locally in Allamakee County, the Governor’s proclamation made Wednesday, May 6 also allowed for retail establishments and malls to be opened at 50% of their occupancy capacity and fitness centers to be opened by appointment to a single individual at one time, with social distancing and other mitigation and sanitation measures continuing to be implemented. Those lightened restrictions are to remain in place at least through this Friday, May 15, with Governor Reynolds stating Monday, May 11 that she will likely be announcing decisions on the continuation or lightening of restrictions currently in place at her Tuesday, May 12 press conference.