Iowa news
Top DHS official says Glenwood will close because state is unable to comply with federal demands
A top state officials said the Glenwood Resource Center will close because the state cannot comply with federal requirements. At a Council on Human Services meeting Thursday, Kelly Garcia, the director of the Department of Human Services, called the decision to close Glenwood “devastating.” But Garcia said she and Gov. Kim Reynolds determined no financial investment would be enough to get the facility in compliance with federal demands. (Iowa Public Radio)
State leaders meet with victims’ advocates about new legislation
In a show of bipartisanship, Republican Sen. Joni Ernst and Democrat Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller met with sexual assault victim advocates Thursday. The group discussed the recent passage of the Violence Against Women Act, which President Biden signed into law last month. This comes as leaders statewide push to ensure people know about resources for victims of sexual assault. (WeAreIowa.com)
Sanford Announces Sheldon Clinic Expansion
Sanford Health is planning a large expansion to its Sanford Sheldon Clinic. The 4,000 square foot expansion to the east side of the existing clinic will feature eight additional examination rooms and four procedure rooms. Sanford Sheldon Clinic has 26 providers, which includes family physicians and practitioners as well as specialists who visit monthly to see patients, providing convenient care close to home. Specialties include surgery, cardiology (pediatric and adult), urogynecology, urology, orthopedics, nephrology, podiatry, radiology and behavioral health. (KIWA-AM)
National news
CDC extends transportation mask mandate until May 3
The Biden administration is extending its face mask requirement for public transit for another 15 days. That means travelers will still need to mask up in airports, planes, buses, trains and at transit hubs until May 3. The mask travel requirement had been set to expire this coming Monday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is keeping in place its mask order “to assess the potential impact the rise of cases has on severe disease, including hospitalizations and deaths, and health care system capacity,” according to an agency spokesperson. The spokesperson also confirmed that the Transportation Security Administration, which handles enforcement of the order, is extending its security directive and emergency amendment for another 15 days. (National Public Radio)
FDA authorizes first Covid-19 breath test
The Food and Drug Administration has authorized the first COVID-19 test that uses breath samples. The InspectIR Covid-19 Breathalyzer test has to be done by a trained operator, but the FDA said it can provide a result in around three minutes. The test detects chemicals associated with the virus that causes the disease in a breath sample, and if it’s positive, it should be followed up by a molecular test, the agency said in a statement. (NBC News)
Two new omicron variants are spreading in New York and elsewhere
Health officials in New York said that two new omicron variants are spreading rapidly in the state. The variants appear to be causing a small surge in cases in central New York state. Known as BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1, the variants are closely related to the BA.2 variant – a version of omicron that has caused surges across Europe and is now dominant in the U.S.. Together, the two new variants now comprise 90% of cases in central New York. But one of them, BA.2.12.1, contains a mutation that appears to give the variant an advantage. The mutation resides on the part of the virus that binds to human cells. And in previous variants, this mutation has helped the virus infect cells, studies have found. The BA.2.12. variant appears to have a growth advantage of about 30% to 90% per week over BA.2. (National Public Radio)