South Iowa News

Gov. Kim Reynolds designated an extra $28 million in direct relief to Iowa’s hospitals and county health departments.

The funds are being used to help manage increased medical needs due to COVID-19. The grants come thanks to the $1.25 billion in federal CARES Act funds allotted to Iowa.  

“As COVID-19 continues to impact Iowans, it is putting a strain on both staffings at our hospitals as well as local public health departments,” Gov. Reynolds said in a press release. “These added funds will provide much-needed relief to hospitals to support their staffing needs in this critical time. They will also support Iowa’s county health departments, which are facing continued and ongoing increases in workload.”  

Reynolds said that $25 million will be earmarked to hospitals to address staffing and medical equipment needs.

“All across the northern United States, we are seeing a consistent uptick in new cases of COVID-19,” Reynolds said in a press release. “It’s especially important that Iowans take every precaution possible to slow the community spread of COVID-19, whether that means wearing a mask in public, social distancing or simply staying home. We all need to do our part to curb that spread.”