The Guthrie County Board of Supervisors received updates on the County’s COVID-19 situation and plans to reopen County offices during their meeting Tuesday.

Human Resources Director Pam Lane told the Board that during a department head meeting that was held last week to discuss reopening offices, Public Health Director Jotham Arber recommended that they hold off on making any recommendations to the Board, as confirmed positive cases have almost tripled in the past week for the County. Lane said they will be having another department head meeting this week to further discuss the situation, and the Board took no action regarding the matter. Lane also mentioned that two County employees have taken leave related to COVID-19. One of those people has tested negative for COVID-19 and is able to return to work, while the other person has not yet received test results.

Later in the meeting Arber informed the Board over the phone that 10 people at the Lakeside Village assisted living facility have tested positive for the virus, five people have been hospitalized with some of them in Des Moines, and he expects more hospitalizations from this outbreak to come. In other meeting business, the Board approved payroll change notices on a 4-1 vote for Information Technology Administrator Brian Hoffman, and unanimously for Katherine Shaw to work in the Auditor’s Office until June 4th.