Iowa City, Ia (AP) — Weeks into the coronavirus outbreak, Iowa hospitals have been ordered to report daily statistics to the state on the number of patients they’re treating and whether they have enough resources. The Iowa Department of Public Health issued an order April 3 requiring hospitals to report every day on the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized, in intensive care and on ventilators. Gov. Kim Reynolds has said repeatedly that data is driving her decisions on how to manage the outbreak. Iowa Department of Public Health deputy director Sarah Reisetter said Wednesday that the mandatory order was necessary because hospitalization numbers haven’t always been accurate or timely.
