The full press conference for Nov. 24, 2020 can be viewed above
Gov. Kim Reynolds held a press conference on the state's coronavirus mitigation efforts Tuesday from the Iowa PBS studios in Johnston.
Iowa's positivity rate was 14.7% last week, a decrease from 24% the prior week.
Peak hospitalizations reached 1,527 on Nov. 17 and in the five days following, the state has noted a slight day-to-day decrease.
"It is way, way, way too early to really say this is a trend," Reynolds said. "So we are going to continue to monitor it and see if there are other things we can do."
Long-term care facilities have set a record for outbreaks at 143, an increase of 23 from Monday to Tuesday morning.
"As we said earlier, the more that we're testing, we're finding more positive cases and that while it's hard and we have more facilities moving into outbreak status, it also allows us to identify a potential outbreak sooner rather than later."
The governor said Tuesday that community spread is mirrored in Iowa's long-term care facilities, with both residents and staff testing positive.
She also said that the state's distribution plan for a vaccine will prioritize those that provide direct care, maintain critical infrastructure and those at highest risk of contracting COVID-19.
Still, the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday will look different because of how pervasive the virus' spread is.
"This year, it can be challenging to look beyond the struggles that we have endured," Reynolds said. "No one has been untouched by the pandemic, but for some the burden has been far heavier to carry."
"Especially those who are grieving the loss of a loved one this holiday season."
Reynolds also reported that convalescent plasma donations to LifeServe Blood Center surged last week, and they now have 1,300 more doses than the week before.
Antibodies in the plasma are thought to help patients currently fighting the virus.
In a Nov. 16 public health proclamation, Reynolds prohibited indoor gatherings of 15 or more people, and began requiring people to wear masks inside public spaces while around non-family members.
As of 9 a.m. Tuesday, 215,570 Iowans have tested positive for the virus and 2,224 have died.
In the latest White House Coronavirus Task Force report obtained by ABC News, the task force wrote it is "encouraged" by the steps Reynolds is taking to decrease community transmission.
"COVID-related hospitalizations will continue in the coming weeks," the task force noted.
However, the report said that with increased strong mitigation measures, cases could decline to the yellow zone in the next four to five weeks.
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WATCH: Gov. Kim Reynolds' full press conference for Nov. 24, 2020