Another record-breaking week of COVID-19 cases includes first cases reported by Eastern Allamakee schools and Thornton Manor

As the nation and parts of the world are seeing considerable increase - sometimes at a record pace - in the number of newly confirmed cases of COVID-19, Allamakee County was no exception to that trend this past week, experiencing a new case count nearly double what it previously had seen in any previous week’s timeframe. Already following a new high of 39 cases the previous week, this past week’s timeframe of Tuesday, October 27 through Monday, November 2 saw 67 new cases reported for that timeframe, with a weekend spike featuring new single-day highs fueling that overall surge.

Wrapped in that new weekly high total for the final week of October are the first positive cases reported by both Thornton Manor and the Eastern Allamakee Community School District in the Lansing community. Both reported their first cases in both staff members and individuals they serve at those respective facilities.

The Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) has posted and continues to update a link on its school website, www.e-allamakee.k12.ia.us, reporting COVID-19 cases within the district. As of noon Monday, November 2, the latest report offered by the school district was updated Friday, October 30 and noted five or fewer cases in both students and staff members, with a combination of 42 students and staff members being quarantined as a result of those cases and potential exposure precautions.

The EACSD update included the following statement: “Per the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), the number may not be published unless it is greater than five. Per Federal Regulations in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), names of students and staff are not public information.”

In a special session Monday night, November 2, the EACSD Board of Directors approved a mask mandate throughout the district, effective immediately. Details of that meeting can be found on Page 10 inside the November 4 print edition and e-edition of The Standard or at this link on The Standard's website.

Thornton Manor’s first cases have also been a combination of staff members and residents. The State of Iowa’s daily updated COVID-19 website, www.coronavirus.iowa.gov, reported that Thornton Manor number to be at 32 cases as of noon Monday, November 2, increasing over the weekend from 19 cases reported Friday, October 30.

Thornton Manor is one of 80 long-term care facilities in the state of Iowa currently dealing with an outbreak of COVID-19 cases.

Thornton Manor Administrator Sam Kuhn initially shared Friday that he and his staff are doing everything they can to meet the needs of their residents as they all work together to get through the outbreak. No additional updates were provided prior to press deadline for this edition.

The past week’s new highest-ever case count of 67 cases for Allamakee County was fueled by a Friday and Saturday combination that saw more than half that total, 34 cases, reported during those two days combined. The past week’s timeframe began with 10 cases reported Tuesday, October 27, eight new cases Wednesday and 10 more cases reported Thursday before that weekend blitz. Case reports slowed considerably from that higher weekend total, as Sunday and Monday saw a combined total of just five cases between those two days, leaving the Allamakee County total at 433 cases as of noon Monday, November 2, with 267 of those cases being listed as recovered.