The Covid patient count in Iowa hospitals hit another high last night: 912. That’s a 22 percent jump from November 1st. There was also a significant increase in the daily count of newly identified Covid cases in Iowa, with 44 percent of those being tested getting a positive result. Dr. Suresh Gunasekaran is C-E-O of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics says it appears there is substantial exhaustion among Iowans about taking simple steps, like wearing a mask in public, to reduce the spread of the virus.

He says public health officials are looking for innovative ways to combat that exhaustion and prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed with Covid patients.