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FROM HOME. WE SAW A HUGE SPIKE TODAY IN THE NUMBER OF CORONAVIRUS CASES. 189 NEW CASES ARE REPORTED IN IOWA. THAT INCREASES THE TOTAL TO JUST UNDER 1900. THERE WERE ALSO 6 MORE COVID-19 RELATED DEATHS. BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 49 STACEY: THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH SAYS NEW CORONAVIRUS CASES SHOT UP BECAUSE OF A NUMBER OF OUTBREAKS. 22 PEOPLE TESTED POSITIVE AT ON WITH LIFE, AN ANKENY REHABILITATION CENTER. 6 AT A DES MOINES NURSING HOME AND 6 AT A RETIREMENT HOME IN WAVERLY, IN NORTHEAST IOWA. BUT THE LARGEST OUTBREAK CAME FROM A TYSON MEAT PACKING PLANT COLUMBUS JUNCTION IN LOUISA COUNTY. 86 CONFIRMED CASES. KCCI’S TODD MAGEL IS LIVE IN DOWNTOWN DES MOINES TO TELL US HOW THE STATE IS DEALING WITH THE NEW HOT SPOT. TODD: THE GOVERNOR SAYS SHE HAS TWO VERY IMPORTANT GOALS, ONE IS TO PROTECT THE WORKERS AT TYSON AND TO TRY AND REOPEN THE PLANT TO PROTECT THE CRITICAL FOOD CHAIN. >> WE HAD 189 NEW POSITIVE CASES TODAY. TODD GOVERNOR REYNOLDS ANNOUNCED : THE DRASTIC INCREASE OF COVID 19 CASES DURING HER DAILY NEWS CONFERENCE. 86 OF THOSE THOSE NEW CASES COME FROM ONE PLACE. COLUMBUS JUNCTION IN LOUISA COUNTY. THAT’S IN SOUTH EAST IOWA NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. IT IS HOME TO THE TYSON MEAT PACKING PLANT AND ALL THE CASES ARE WORKERS THERE. THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH IS NOW WORKING WITH TYSON MAKING IT A TOP PRIORITY. , >> DPH WAS ABLE TO SEND 200 SWABS DOWN TO THE PLANT AND IS WORKING WITH THE FACILITY TO GET THE INDIVIDUALS TESTED, UNDERSTAND WHO WAS POSITIVE WHO IS NEGATIVE, WHICH IS PART OF THE SCENARIO OF OPENING THE PLANT BACK U THE PLANT IS ALSO PUTTING IN A LOT OF MEASURES TO PROTECT THE EMPLOYEES. THEY ARE DOING SCREENING, PROVIDING MASKS, FACE SHIELDS. THEY ARE BEING VERY UPFRONT, IF YOU ARE SICK STAY HOME, SO THEY HAVE BEEN VERY PRO ACTIVE IN MAKING SURE THAT WHEN THEY STAND THE PLANT BACK UP THEY ARE DING -- DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO NOT ONLY EMPLOYEES TO CONTINUE A REALLY CRITICAL PIECE OF OUR FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN. TODD: THE GOVERNOR IS ALSO TAKING A LOO

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The Iowa Department of Public Health confirmed Iowa's largest spike in positive COVID-19 cases since the outbreak began.The department confirmed 189 new cases and six deaths.During her daily COVID-19 news conference, Gov. Kim Reynolds attributed 86 of the 189 new cases to an outbreak at the Tyson Foods meatpacking plant in Columbus Junction. Reynolds said she has two goals: Protect the workers at Tyson and to try and reopen the plant to protect the critical food chain.“DPH was able to send 200 swabs down to the plant and is working with the facility to get the individuals tested (and) understand who was positive who is negative, which is part of the scenario of opening the plant back up,” Reynolds said. According to Reynolds, Tyson is screening employees and providing face masks and shields to its workers. Anyone who is sick is told to stay home.“They are trying to be very proactive, not only to protect their workforce but to make sure they can keep the plant up and going,” she said. “I called to see if there is anything else we can do if they're getting what they need, that we could provide the testing working with their team to start to identify and do some of the contacting so we can know the exposure so we can see what the potential risk for the plant was.”The governor said Tyson is working to separate workers and provide them with more PPE. The goal is to try and reopen the facility because Tyson is part of what she calls the critical food chain.