The arrival of colder weather concerns Winneshiek County health officials because of its impact on COVID-19

Winneshiek County Public Health Director Krista Vanden Brink told Winneshiek County Supervisors Monday that the arrival of colder weather might have an impact on the number of local COVID-19 cases.  Vanden Brink says the colder temperatures will make people want to spend more time indoors, which will impact their exposure to COVID-19.  She's urging people to continue to take steps to prevent getting COVID, including doing social distancing, wearing masks, and spending as much time outdoors as possible.

The latest statistics from Winneshiek County show a total of 339 cases of COVID-19, with six deaths, two current hospitalizations, 30 people still in isolation, and 246 people recovered.

For NE Iowa, those 339 cases give Winneshiek County the highest total number of cases, followed by Allamakee County with 264 cases, Clayton County with 261 cases, Chickasaw County with 260 cases, Fayette County with 227 cases, and Howard County with 191 cases—a total of 1,542 cases in the six-county area.  The area has seen 23 deaths from COVID—six each from Allamakee, Howard, and Winneshiek counties, three from Clayton County and two from Fayette County.