News Flash

State of Iowa Announces Change to COVID-19 Close Contact Definition

LINN COUNTY, IA – Today, Governor Reynolds announced a change in the definition the State of Iowa is using to define close contacts for the purposes of contact tracing of positive COVID-19 cases. The CDC, or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, def...

Willow Gardens Care Center Recovers from COVID-19 Outbreak

LINN COUNTY, IA – As of August 17, 2020, Willow Gardens Care Center, a long-term care facility in Linn County, has recovered from the COVID-19 outbreak, which began affecting the facility in June. Recovery is defined as no new cases for two cons...

Interactive Dashboard Tracks COVID-19 Key Indicators

Linn County Public Health is posting updates on its COVID-19 Mapping Database, which is a graphic dashboard of COVID-19 key indicators including: 

• Number of confirmed cases (by age, gender, race, and ethnicity)
• A map of confirmed cases by zip code
• A...

Linn County Public Health Urges All Residents to Wear Cloth Face Coverings in Public Settings

LINN COUNTY, IA – Linn County Public Health strongly recommends all residents and visitors to consistently and correctly wear a cloth face covering in public settings and when around people who do not live in your household, especially when phys...

Linn County Facilities Reopen July 20 by Appointment

On Monday, July 20, 2020, Linn County offices will reopen on an appointment-only basis as part of a phased approach to reopening with modifications to keep employees and customers safe. Linn County’s top priority remains the safety of employees ...

Linn County Public Health Releases Return to School Guidance during Community Spread of COVID-19

LINN COUNTY, IA – COVID-19 remains present in our community, and will continue to have a direct impact on the daily operations of local schools. To assist school districts and help support administrators, staff, students, and families return to ...

Linn County Public Health Recommends Community to Take Measures to Slow COVID-19

LINN COUNTY, IA – A significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases were reported over two consecutive weeks, mainly among 18 to 25 year olds. This 189 percent increase from 35 to 101 new cases occurred between June 7^th and June 21^st. Conti...

Linn Manor Care Center Recovers from COVID-19 Outbreak

LINN COUNTY, IA – As of June 26, 2020, Linn Manor Care Center, a long-term care facility in Linn County, has recovered from the COVID-19 outbreak, which began affecting the facility in early-April. Recovery is defined as no new cases for two con...

Willow Gardens Care Center Experiencing COVID-19 Outbreak

LINN COUNTY, IA – Willow Gardens Care Center, located at 455 31^st Street in Marion, is the sixth long-term care facility in Linn County that has met the state’s definition of an outbreak. According to the Iowa Department of Public Heal...

Linn County Public Health and Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission to Host Virtual Town Hall June 12

LINN COUNTY, IA – June 10, 2020 – Linn County Public Health and the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission have partnered to host another COVID-19 virtual town hall on Friday, June 12 at 12 p.m. The virtual town hall will be held via GoT...

Linn County Begins Phase Two of Reopening during Community Spread of COVID-19

LINN COUNTY, IA – On May 14, 2020, Linn County Public Health released phased reopening guidance, based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other national organizations. The three-phased approach enables businesses to reopen in ...

Cottage Grove Place Recovers from COVID-19 Outbreak

LINN COUNTY, IA – As of June 8, 2020, Cottage Grove Place, a long term care facility in Linn County, has recovered from the COVID-19 outbreak which began impacting the facility in mid-April. Recovery is defined as no new cases for two consecutiv...

Linn County Public Health Continues to Provide Weekly COVID-19 Updates

LINN COUNTY, IA – Linn County Public Health continues to provide weekly Community Partner Updates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Weekly updates help keep the community informed about the latest information and resources available, and are accessi...

Linn County Public Health Releases Phased Reopening Guidance During Community Spread of COVID-19

LINN COUNTY, IA – Linn County Public Health recommends a phased reopening, in alignment with the Centers for Disease Control and other national organizations. This three-phased approach enables businesses to reopen, and events and gatherings to ...

Linn County Public Health Releases Toolkit to Support Businesses During COVID-19

LINN COUNTY, IA – Linn County Public Health, in coordination with community partners, recently released a toolkit to area businesses in response to COVID-19. The toolkit, available for viewing at https://www.linncounty.org/1404/Business-Guidance...

Linn County Public Health Releases Mental Health COVID-19 Toolkit

LINN COUNTY, IA – Linn County Public Health and community partners emphasize the importance of prioritizing your mental health and staying connected with the release of a mental health toolkit. The toolkit, available for viewing at https://www.l...

Linn County Public Health Releases Multi-Lingual COVID-19 Toolkit

A multi-lingual toolkit, recently released to community partners and available for viewing at LinnCounty.org/MultilingualResources, is the first in a series of several toolkits created to distribute in response to COVID-19.

A multi-lingual toolkit has been...

Linn County Public Health Enhances COVID-19 Mapping Database

Linn County Public Health has added additional information to its coronavirus response webpage, LinnCounty.org/COVID-19. This page provides the community the most accurate and updated information on COVID-19 in Linn County. This webpage includes a case co...

Linn County COVID-19 Infection Data as of April 23, 2020

During the April 23, 2020 COVID-19 press conference, Linn County Public Health presented two graphs that showed COVID-19 infection data in Linn County through 10 a.m. on April 23. The first graph showed the number of positive coronavirus cases in Linn Cou...

Linn County Correctional Center Deputy Sheriff Tests Positive for COVID-19 Virus

On Sunday, April 19, 2020, we learned that a deputy sheriff assigned to the Linn County Correctional Center tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.  The deputy last worked during the evening shift on Thursday, April 16th.  He arrived to ...

Linn County Board of Health Releases Letter to Community Regarding COVID-19

LINN COUNTY, IA – On April 8, 2020, the Linn County Board of Health approved a letter (PDF) to the community regarding recommended actions to stop the spread of COVID-19.

For up-to-date information on COVID-19, visit:

• Linn County Public Health web...

Scam Alert: Individual comes to residence posing as public health employee

LINN COUNTY, IA - Linn County Public Health (LCPH) has been notified by a resident that an individual claiming to be a public health employee attempted to gain access inside their home. The person told the resident they needed to come inside to make sure ...

Guidance for Preventing COVID-19 Spread Within Long Term Care Facilities

LINN COUNTY, IA – Linn County Public Health is working closely with a local long-term care facility in response to a COVID-19 outbreak. The Iowa Department of Public Health and Linn County Public Health are working closely with this facility to ...

First COVID-19 Death Confirmed in Linn County

LINN COUNTY, IA - Linn County Public Health (LCPH) has been notified of the first death associated with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Linn County. The 61-80 year old male had underlying health conditions.

“We extend our deepest sympathies t...

COVID-19 Cases Confirmed in Linn County

Linn County Public Health (LCPH) is closely monitoring the spread of coronavirus and has announced the first laboratory diagnosed case of COVID-19 in Linn County at a news conference Saturday morning. The individual is receiving appropriate medical care. ...

Linn County Adopts Temporary Employment Policy to Minimize Impact to County Services

The Linn County Board of Supervisors has adopted a temporary employment policy for Linn County employees in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). The policy will help ensure the health and safety of Linn County employees while providing f...

Longbranch Restaurant and Bar Attendees Asked to Self-Isolate

Linn County Public Health received notification that a D.J. that performed at The Longbranch Restaurant and Bar on Friday, March 6, and Friday, March 13, has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Anyone who was at the The Longbranch Restaurant and Bar on these da...

Linn County Prepares for COVID-19

Linn County is taking steps to prepare for the potential of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Linn County. Currently, there are no cases of COVID-19 in Linn County. However, Linn County is following the recommendation of Public Health officials to ...

Linn County Public Health Encourages Communities to Prepare for Potential COVID-19 Cases

LINN COUNTY, IA – The first COVID-19 cases in Iowa were announced this week, which has resulted in increasing awareness and preparation for the potential spread of COVID-19 to Linn County communities. Linn County Public Health (LCPH) continues t...

Linn County Public Health Advises Residents on Spring Break Travel

LINN COUNTY, IA - Linn County Public Health (LCPH) continues to work with the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state and local partners to monitor and respond to novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The v...