Lee Rood, Des Moines Register
As Iowa's positive coronavirus cases climbed this week to their highest level yet, local elected officials in several of the state's most populated counties said they are increasingly relying on data sources other than the state health department to make decisions about protecting residents in their communities.
In places such as Polk, Story, Johnson and Linn counties, several officials complained they no longer trust state data or metrics because case numbers have been consistently under-reported and contain inaccuracies — and that Gov. Kim Reynolds' guidance thus far has failed to quell the coronavirus’ spread.
“Iowa has become an island to ourselves,” said Linn County supervisors Chairman Ben Rogers, a four-term elected official from the northeast side of Cedar Rapids. “We find ourselves at the top of all the bad lists. ... It’s not slowing down.”
On Friday, the Iowa Department of Public Health reported 2,663 new coronavirus cases, the most yet in a 24-hour period, as for the first time it included positive results from rapid antigen tests. . . .
Rogers said Linn County has been doing its own data analysis, conducting its own contact tracing, collecting case counts from area colleges and providing residents with case count information by ZIP code, which the state does not do. . . .
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2020/08/28/covid-19-iowa-top-county-city-leaders-distrust-state-numbers/5646260002/
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