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Live COVID-19 updates: Clive Aquatic Center closed for the summer

Stay tuned to Local 5 and WeAreIowa.com for the latest coronavirus updates.

355 Iowans have died of COVID-19 and 14,955 have tested positive as of Monday morning.

A total of 7,324 have recovered, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. 

The counties with the most positive cases as of Sunday are Polk, Woodbury and Black Hawk Counties. 

Text FACTS to 515-457-1026 for the latest coronavirus coverage.

May 18, 2020

Clive pool closed through summer 2020

The City of Clive has decided to close its aquatic center for the summer in addition to the Clive Festival. 

“Public health and safety have always been, and always will be, our top priority. We have the responsibility to provide safe experiences for our patrons, volunteers, staff, sponsors, vendors, entertainers, and our entire community," Clive Leisure Services Director Richard Brown said in a statement. "Clive is dedicated to supporting healthy life experiences through quality parks and recreation opportunities and we will continue connecting with our community in new and inventive ways this summer.”

Anyone who purchased a pass to the Clive Aquatics Center will be refunded starting Tuesday.

The city said that if the COVID-19 public health situation changes, limited swimming lessons may be offered.

University of Northern Iowa students to receive as much as $2,200 in federal aid

UNI announced that students will receive CARES Act money up to $2,200 per person.

"We have been very intentional with our outreach to students," Tim Bakula, director of financial aid at UNI, said in a statement. "We have been committed to letting all of our students know about these funds, and we will continue working with those who identify need as a result of the coronavirus."  

The school will distribute $3.8 million to their more than 3,000 students who applied for relief. The money must be used to cover "expenses they incurred as a result of coronavirus."

RELATED: Millions of Americans will get stimulus checks, but here's who won't

56 inmates, 9 staff test positive for virus at Polk County Jail

The Polk County Jail reports a total of 65 positive cases linked to the facility. As of Monday, another nine inmates and three staff members tested positive for the virus.

In total, 56 inmates and nine staff members at the jail have tested positive. You can find the current data on the Polk County Sheriff's website.

Facebook donates $350,000 towards East Polk County Relief Fund to combat COVID-19

The East Polk Innovation Collaborative (EPIC), Facebook and other local partners established the East Polk County Relief Fund to help combat the impacts of the novel coronavirus.

Facebook donated $350,000 on Monday. A release from EPIC says $250,000 will go towards small businesses and the rest will go to nonprofits and individuals needing assistance.

Small businesses and nonprofits in East Polk County are eligible to apply for a grant up to $3,000. The grant application is available on the EPIC website.

The East Polk Community Relief Fund Committee will be accepting applications for grant funding starting May 18, 2020 through June 1, 2020.

Iowa Court of Appeals to hear May oral arguments remotely

A release from the Iowa Judicial Branch said the Iowa Court of Appeals will hold oral arguments using videoconferencing. This is the first time it's been done in Iowa's history.

The Court will hear arguments on May 21 and 22. They'll be livestreamed on the Iowa Court of Appeals YouTube channel.

State Auditor Rob Sand releases statement on Iowa's PPE supply

According to State Auditor Rob Sand, his office is already looking into Iowa's personal protective equipment (PPE) supply. 

His statement is short, however he said his office is looking into a vendor that sold Iowa PPE.

“Prior to last week’s coverage of a vendor whom has never before sold PPE receiving a $7 million no-bid contract for PPE, we had already begun collecting information about both no-bid contracts and the state’s PPE supply” he said.

Regulators sat on complaint as outbreak at Tyson Foods Perry plant grew

Regulators declined to inspect an Iowa pork plant after receiving a complaint alleging insufficient efforts were being made to halt the spread of the coronavirus. 

One state senator says that decision failed workers and allowed an outbreak to grow. 

An April 11 complaint to the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration says employees at the Tyson Foods plant in Perry, Iowa, worked “elbow to elbow” and that social distancing was near impossible. 

Records show Iowa OSHA waited nine days before contacting Tyson, which took eight days to respond. The agency described Tyson’s voluntary safety efforts as “satisfactory.” A week later, the state announced 730 workers tested positive. 

Reporting by The Associated Press/Ryan J. Foley 

RELATED: Perry City Administrator discusses Tyson Foods plant outbreak

WATCH: Gov. Kim Reynolds' full press conference for May 18, 2020

Group seeks money to bury refugee, 36, who died of COVID-19

Advocates are raising money to pay for the burial of a 36-year-old Congolese refugee who died of the coronavirus earlier this month in Des Moines.

Embarc Iowa, a refugee services organization, said that Wiuca Iddi Wiuca died May 4 after a sudden illness and two weeks in the hospital.The group says advocates need to raise thousands of dollars to have Wiuca buried this week at an Ankeny cemetery, adding that a traditional burial in the Congolese community is extremely important. 

Wiuca leaves behind two adult siblings who, like him, were resettled to Des Moines last year from a refugee camp in Tanzania. 

They had fled war in Congo in 1996. 

Reporting by The Associated Press

Friends, On May 4th, a 36 year old man from the Congolese community... died from COVID-19. His name was Wiuca Iddi Wiuca. In 1996, Wiuca fled war in Congo to Tanzania and lived in Nyarugusu Refugee Camp for 22 years before resettling in Des Moines in July 2019.

2 confirmed cases of PMIS in Iowa, IDPH confirms

A syndrome affecting children exposed to COVID-19 is in Iowa, the Department of Public Health confirmed Monday. 

Dr. Caitlin Pedati, the State Public Health Medical Director and epidemiologist, said two children in eastern Iowa are thought to have Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome, or PMIS. She said both children are stable.

RELATED: Eastern Iowa reports first case of PMIS, child's disease linked to COVID-19

Another update coming to IDPH coronavirus website

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced another update for the Iowa Department of Public Health's coronavirus website. She provided a short demonstration at her Monday morning press conference, but she said a more detailed demonstration will be done Tuesday.

So, what are the changes? Reynolds said Iowans will be able to see case counts being reported in real time throughout the day. 

She said, "You'll be able to see exactly where the numbers stand where whenever you decide to check the website."

Reynolds included that data will change overtime because of case investigations.

"For example, when lab results come in overnight, they may be, there may be some that reported as positive cases for the current day, but through the case investigation it's learned that some cases were actually identified before the cutoff at 11:59," she explained. 

"So a correction is made, and those cases are moved to the previous day's count. In this situation, the total number of all positive cases is accurate and remains the same, but the daily numbers shift slightly."

Des Moines Public Library adapts to reopening guidelines

The Des Moines Public Library is now letting patrons pick up their holds at the Central Library pickup window and accepting returns at the book drop.

Starting May 26, materials can be returned to all other book drops. More updates will be made available as they come up.

Chris Stapleton postpones Iowa State Fair concert to 2021

Country music star Chris Stapleton rescheduled his tour "The All-American Road Show" to 2021, and that includes his Iowa State Fair appearance that was scheduled for August 21. 

The new concert date for the fair is August 19, 2021.

"We've made this decision with the health and safety of our fans, touring family, and the communities we travel through as our number one priority," reads a statement from Stapleton's Twitter account. 

The Iowa State Fair tweeted that all tickets for the 2020 date will be honored for the 2021 date.

4 more Iowans die, another 304 test positive for virus

The Iowa Department of Public Health reports that another four Iowans have died from COVID-19 as of Monday morning. The total is now 355.

An additional 304 tested positive, the total is now 14,955.

Negative tests total to 88,193 after another 2,603 tested negative. 

A total of 103,148 Iowans have been tested for the virus. New test results reported Monday total to 2,907. 

In addition to that, 36 long-term care facilities are considered to have outbreaks in Iowa. That's down one from Sunday.

382 Iowans remain hospitalized from COVID-19 and 7,324 have recovered from their illness.

Capitol building reopening to visitors

While session won't reconvene until June 3, the State Capitol building will be reopening to the public starting at 8:00 a.m. 

Only the west entrance will be open. It's closed to tour groups and individuals will be "encouraged to maintain social distancing and refrain from gathering in groups of 10 or more."

Each Pair Iowa to set up memorial display

The organization "Each Pair Iowa" will create a mobile memorial display of hundreds of shoes on the State Capitol steps Monday.

Each pair of shoes will represent an Iowan that has lost their life from COVID-19. This organization seeks to "humanize the Iowa COVID tragedy." 

The event will last from 2-7 p.m.

Visitors are encouraged to drive by or make a "brief masked and distanced visit" on Finkbine Drive. They're also accepting shoe donations for their cause.

RELATED: A week away from retirement, Marshalltown meatpacking worker dies from coronavirus

RELATED: Eastern Iowa reports first case of PMIS, child's disease linked to COVID-19

WATCH: Complete coronavirus coverage from Local 5 on YouTube

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