Des Moines, IA (KICD)– The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services has announced plans to end mandatory reporting for COVID-19 a little over a month from now.

Since March 2020, any COVID-19 test processed in a clinical lab was required to be reported to the state Public Health Division and then to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state has decided to end this process on April 1st knowing this type of reporting is no longer considered to accurately reflect the number of cases of the virus.

Beginning April 1, Iowa’s COVID-19 reporting dashboard will be replaced by the incorporation of surveillance data into the weekly respiratory virus surveillance report published by the Division of Public Health. TestIowa at Home will continue to offer free COVID-19 testing for Iowans through the end of the year.