Polk County sees increase in COVID-19 cases as businesses reopen. | Pixabay
Polk County sees increase in COVID-19 cases as businesses reopen. | Pixabay
The Polk County Department of Health reported that a spike in COVID-19 cases accompanied the reopening of businesses.
The county registered close to 600 new cases earlier this month, confirming the fears expressed by the Board of Supervisors when it came to rebooting the Iowa economy.
“You reopen a community and you'll start to see the impact of increased activity, gatherings of people and things in 14 days down the line,” the health department’s Helen Eddy told KCCI. “So that's why we tell people, 'Be cautious.' Because it's not immediately obvious, but we do see it 10 to 14 days down the line and we are starting to see the impact of that.”
County leaders believe that the ongoing protests in response to the death of George Floyd could add to the case count. While officials support the right to protest, they urged those who participate to wear masks and practice social distancing as best as they can.