Union County’s official death toll due to coronavirus still stands at one Union County, Emergency Management Director Jo Anne Duckworth said during the Union County Board of Supervisors meeting Monday at the courthouse.
The case count has risen to 77 with 42 of those recovered. Duckworth had been concerned about a spike in cases after the county fair, but that has not happened.
“Our numbers have climbed a little bit, but they’re not drastic,” she said. “We’re roughly two weeks past the county fair mark ... so that’s good news.”
School districts in Iowa must use a coronavirus positivity rate to determine if they can open safely. Union County sits at 4%, which allows schools to open with in-person classes. However, East Union School District pulls students from other counties such as Clarke, which at 17% is over the limit where a waiver for full online schooling can be requested. Duckworth was unsure how East Union will determine its percentage.
“I don’t know how they’re going to divide that up since East Union covers more than one county,” she said.
Emergency radio
The next steps in bringing the emergency radio system online are happening this week. Crews will be aligning the microwave dishes for optimal coverage. Coverage testing will begin Aug. 18 Afton Fire Chief Brett Weiss will be helping Motorola with this task, with Creston Fire Chief Todd Jackson filling in when Duckworth is unavailable.
Duckworth explained how the emergency button on the portable radios and at the schools will work.
‘All of our portables have that emergency button on them,” she said.
If a staff member at the school pushes the emergency button, they will be able to speak directly to the law enforcement center. In addition, sound from the location will automatically be transmitted to allow law enforcement officials to hear what is going on at the school. Sirens and flashes of light will alert the personnel at the law center.
The portable radios for secondary roads and other departments will also connect to the law enforcement center in case an emergency occurs outside of normal business hours when no one is available at the home offices.
Duckworth said getting the system entirely online is progressing well.
“Every day we get a little closer,” she said.