COVID-19: The latest

Staff report

The Rotary Club of Jefferson presented a check on May 20 in the amount of $1,007 to the Greene County Christian Action Resource Center (ARC).

Because of the economic uncertainty as a result of COVID-19, members were asked to donate the cost of one Rotary lunch to either the Food Bank of Iowa or their local food pantry.

The donation came just as Iowa’s unemployment rate increased to 10.2 percent in April —  up from 2.7 percent a year ago.

The U.S. unemployment rate rose to 14.7 percent in April.

In a statement, Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend said that April was the first month “we have seen the real impact of the pandemic on our unemployment rate.”

“We remain hopeful that as we reopen the state and more people return to work, the rate will decrease quickly and this unprecedented rate will be a very temporary one,” she said.

• The Iowa Department of Human Services on Wednesday announced that the state of Iowa has received nearly $1 million in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to offer free counseling to any Iowan affected, in any way, by the COVID-19 public health emergency.

The program, COVID Recovery Iowa, is available this week. Counseling will take place via virtual sessions, chat or phone call.

Iowans can access services through the following options:

Call 800-447-1985 to connect with a counselor specializing in rural issues and agriculture 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Call the Iowa Warm Line, 844-775-9276, to connect with a peer counselor or request to get in touch with a COVID Recovery Iowa counselor.

Visit www.COVIDrecoveryiowa.org and complete a contact form and a counselor will get back to you.

DHS has contracted with five providers throughout the state to provide counseling, virtual activities, referrals and help finding resources.

• All Fareway and Hy-Vee stores in Iowa have free cloth masks to distribute to customers on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Iowa Department of Public Health received the masks from HanesBrands Inc.

• Greene County Elementary teachers are planning to conduct a parade Friday on what would have been the last day of school.

The Teacher Tour will start in Scranton at 4 p.m., then Jefferson at 4:30, followed by Grand Junction at 5:55 and finishing in Rippey at 6:30. Times are approximate.

School staff will not be able to stop and talk. They can wave and honk their horns, though.

The tour route can be accessed at https://www.gccsd.k12.ia.us/cms/lib/IA02205460/Centricity/Domain/8/Teacher Tour.pdf

• Even though museums have been given the governor’s approval to reopen, the Greene County Historical Museum in Jefferson will remain closed at least through the month of June, historical society president David John announced May 21.

Museums have been among the facilities closed since mid-March to try to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“I know people are anxious to get out and about, but I think we should err on the side of caution, rather than jump right in,” said John, who polled the society’s board of directors before making the decision.

In addition, the historical society’s meeting and program scheduled for June 5 has been canceled. That program — on the history of Spring Lake Park — will hopefully be rescheduled.

• The Jefferson Swimming Pool will open for the season June 6, the Jefferson Park and Recreation Department announced, but lap swim and swim lessons will be the only things allowed until further notice.

Hours will be daily from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Lap swimmers will have one hour to swim if someone is waiting.

Call 515-386-3412 for more information.

• Greene County Schools will resume serving meals June 8 with a modified summer lunch program.

Gov. Kim Reynolds has given the OK for school districts to open up buildings for summer school and summer lunch, but details still need to be worked out.

Until then, the district will distribute sack lunches at the Grand Junction Community Center from 11:30 to 11:50 a.m.; the Rippey Community Center from noon to 12:15 p.m.; the Scranton Community Center from 11:30 to 11:50 a.m.; and Greene County Middle School from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Children are required to pick up the meals.