Webster County is now up to 10 COVID-19 cases, up from eight last week, according to Webster County Public Health.

The cases fall into the following age categories:

• Adult (age 18-40): 4.

• Middle-age adult (age 41-60): 4.

• Older adult (age 61-80): 2.

Four of the cases have recovered since their diagnosis. A total of 814 people have been tested for COVID-19 in Webster County, about 2.3% of the county’s population, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

“It is important to remember that our numbers will ebb and flow back and forth as positive tests are received and disease investigations completed,” said Webster County Public Health Director Kari Prescott. “Once we validate residency and contact tracing for each positive patient, we will update the public with factual information.”

The numbers noted on the state’s COVID-19 website are delayed and don’t always reflect when a patient’s case has been moved to another county as part of disease investigations. Webster County Public Health has an internal system that notifies of positive tests and potential cases, and Public Health staff are notified internally before the Iowa Department of Public Health posts information.

The positive cases join an additional 414 statewide announced Monday. Statewide, 12,373 people have tested positive since the pandemic began.

Six additional deaths were also reported, bringing the statewide total to 271.

The Iowa Department of Public Health notes that a total of 3,855 people in Webster County have taken an online assessment via Test Iowa, the state’s testing initiative. Assessments do not reflect the number of people who have received a diagnostic test for COVID-19.

Once a positive test result is received by Webster County Public Health, a nurse begins a standard disease investigation. Disease investigation procedures are used not only for COVID-19 but for other contagious illnesses as well.

As part of investigations, the patient is asked about the people that they have been around and the places that they have been during a specified period of time. That information is recorded by a public health nurse. At times, it will be determined that while a patient was tested in Webster County, they do not live in nor did they have exposure in the county. It is during this time in the investigation that their case may be transferred to be recorded in another county.

WCPH said they will contact everyone identified as having been exposed to a positive patient.