Gov Kim Reynolds started her daily press briefing 45 minutes late Tuesday due to glitches in the updated COVID-19 website that was the topic of the day.
Reynolds showed a beta version of the new dashboard on the website, https://coronavirus.iowa.gov, at the briefing, and said it would be available later in the afternoon. It was well into the evening when it became available.
The website now provides Iowans with more detailed information about COVID-19 than previously available, including information by county and by Regional Medical Coordination Center, and information about the race and ethnicity of patients.
”Our goal from the beginning has been to provide Iowans with the information they need to understand the current situation and what it means for them,” Reynolds said.
Iowa’s epidemiological curve, the “epi curve,” is also on the website. Dr Caitlyn Pedati, epidemiologist at the Iowa Department of Public Health, explained the epi curve focuses on the date persons first became ill. The curve shows the magnitude and progression of an outbreak, Pedati said. Iowans will be able to see what “flattening the curve” would look like.
Reynolds reported 189 new cases of COVID-19 in Iowa, for a total of 1,899 cases spread among 82 counties. As of Sunday evening, 163 Iowans were hospitalized with COVID-19. Six more people have died for a total of 49 deaths in Iowa: a Polk County resident age 18-40; a Pottawattamie County resident age 61-80; Linn County residents ages 61-80 and 41-60; a Scott County resident age 81 or older; and a Tama County resident age 81 or older.
The jump in positive cases was more than in previous days. Reynolds explained 86 of the 189 new cases are related to an outbreak at the Tyson packing plant in Columbus Junction in Louisa County in southeast Iowa.
She also confirmed three additional outbreaks in long term care facilities in Bremer and Polk counties, and an inpatient rehabilitation facility in Ankeny.
Journalists pursued more information about packing plant outbreaks. Reynolds said the state has made more testing available, and that management at the Columbus Junction plant has been “up front” in dealing with outbreak. “They’ve been very proactive in making sure when they stand the plant back up, they’re doing everything that can not only to protect the employees, but to continue a really critical piece of our food supply chain,” she said.
The Iowa Beef plant in Tama has also suspended production due to a COVID-19 outbreak. Reynolds said both plants had already implemented IDPH food production safety guidance before the outbreaks were identified. Additionally, the Smithfield Foods packing plant in Sioux Falls, SD, is closed. Producers in northwest Iowa rely on that plant as their market.
Reynolds said the state is not involved in decisions of when to reopen plants.
Reynolds was asked if she plans to extend school and business closures past April 30. “I’m not going to make any projections right now. I’m hoping we can start that process (opening up the state again) in May, but we’ll have to see where we’re at at the end of the month. We are working on what metrics we can use to start to dial back up some of the businesses. We’ll keep you apprised of that as we move through the next couple of weeks,” she answered.
She said she plans to talk with other Midwest governors, but each governor will make his or her best decision for each state.
