March 28, 2024

COVID-19 reporting ending in Iowa

National Public Health Emergency set to expire May 11

Starting April 1, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, formerly the Iowa Department of Public Health, will no longer require positive COVID-19 tests to be reported to the state. Jasper County Health Department Coordinator Kristina Winfield reported the procedural update to the board of health during its March meeting.

“The state is starting to unwind our response to COVID,” Winfield said.

Positive COVID-19 tests first started to be reported to the state in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. The positive tests were sent to the state who then reported the data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the national level. As the pandemic has moved into its third year,the state has found the reporting of positive tests no long accurately reflects the prevalence of the virus in Iowa.

“We know (the reporting) isn’t exactly accurate right now with the number of rapid at-home tests,” Winfield said.

According to Iowa HHS, since the development and widespread availability of rapid in-home tests, which are not required to be reported, the case counts are no longer as meaningful compared to earlier in the pandemic. Also, the state does not have any other mandatory reporting for any other respiratory viral illnesses in place.

COVID-19 data will move from a singular dashboard to being incorporated into the weekly respiratory virus surveillance report published by the Division of Public Health and available at hhs.iowa.gov/influenza/reports. Free tests will continue to be offered through TestIowa at Home through the end of 2023.

“It’s important for Iowans to know the Public Health Division will monitor the virus, just as we do for other respiratory illnesses,” state medical director Dr. Robert Kruse said. “The Public Health Division will continue to work collaboratively with our local health department, healthcare partners in the state and partners at the federal level.

At the national level, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that based on current COVID-19 trends, the federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 plans to expire by end of day May 11.