CITY OF ROCK VALLEY: Mayor Kevin Van Otterloo called a special Council meeting to discuss the threat of COVID-19

By Press release submission

Mar 14, 2020

City of Rock Valley issued the following announcement on Mar. 13.

Today, Mayor Kevin Van Otterloo called a special Council meeting to discuss the threat of COVID-19 and to discuss what actions have been taken and what still needs to be done. Representatives from Hegg Health Center, Rock Valley Community School, Rock Valley Christian School, Netherlands Reformed Christian School, Hope Haven, Rock Valley Ambulance Association, Rock Valley Fire Department, Rock Valley Police Department and City employees participated in the meeting.

A discussion on what preventative measures have been taken to keep our community safe and what steps may be taken to minimize the spread of the virus in the community, if someone were to test positive in Rock Valley.

The community is encouraged to visit the Iowa Department of Public Health’s website https://idph.iowa.gov/ for the most up to date information on the virus in Iowa. Based on information from this site, there are currently 17 people that have tested positive for COVID-19 and all of those residents reside in Carroll, Johnson, Harrison or Pottawattamie counties.

People who utilize Avera facilities for their health care who feel they may have been exposed to COVID-19 or who are displaying symptoms are asked to call 1-877-AT-AVERA (1-877-282-8372) or contact the clinic. The toll-free number is Avera’s Medical Call Center that is staffed 24/7 by registered nurses. At this number, people will talk to qualified staff who will discuss their concerns and symptoms and determine if that patient needs to be seen by a provider.

You can help prevent the spread of illness by following simple daily precautions including washing hands frequently, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when ill. It is currently flu and respiratory disease season, and IDPH recommends getting the flu vaccine. Influenza activity is widespread in Iowa and as long as flu viruses are circulating, it’s not too late to receive the vaccine.

Original source can be found here.