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'We now have community spread in our state': Reynolds confirms Dallas County COVID-19 case Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WITH BREAKING NEWS. MAX: BREAKING NEWS TONIGHT. THERE IS ANOTHER CONFIRMED CASE OF CORONAVIRUS, HERE IN IOWA. GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS CONFIRMS THE STATE NOW HAS 18 CASES. THIS NEW PERSON INFECTED IS IN DALLAS COUNTY. KCCI’S KAYLA JAMES WAS AT THE GOVERNOR’S NEWS CONFERENCE, WHICH ENDED JUST-OVER AN HOUR AGO. SHE JOINS US LIVE WITH MORE DETAILS, KAYLA? KAYLA: MAX, GOVERNOR REYNOLDS AND THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH ARE SAYING COMMUNITY SPREAD IS HERE IN IOWA STATE, MEANING THE PERSON WHO RECENTLY TESTED POSITIVE DID NOT DIRECTLY CONTRACT IT FROM A CRUISE OR COUNTRY. WITH COMMUNITY SPREAD IN THE STATE - GOVERNOR REYNOLD IS ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO THINK OF CONTINGENCY PLANS. TWO AREAS SHE FOCUSED ON, HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS TO CONSIDER LOOKING INTO TELEHEALTH, AND FOR PEOPLE TO NOT HOST OR GO TO EVENTS WITH LARGE CROWDS. SHE ALSO PUT AN EMPHASIS ON PEOPLE CONTINUING WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING AND IF YOU CAN - TO WORK REMOTELY. THIS MOST RECENT CASE BRINGS THE NUMBER TO 18 PEOPLE WHO TESTED POSITIVE. THE COUNTIES AFFECTED INCLUDE POTTAWATTAMIE, CARROLL, HARRISON, DALLAS AND JOHNSON. EVEN WITH THAT AMOUNT AND ACKNOWLEDGING COMMUNITY SPREAD HAS MADE ITS WAY TO IOWA, DR. PEDATI SAYS NOTHING WILL CHANGE WITH HOW THEY’RE TESTING. >> WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR STATE HYGIENIC LAB TO DO TESTING. WE ARE USING CRITERIA TO LOOK AT PEOPLE WHO ARE HOSPITALIZED AND HAVE RISK FACTORS. WE ARE STILL GOING TO KEEP THINGS LIKE THAT IN MIND. AND WE KNOW THERE ARE COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE TESTS THAT ARE COMING ON BOARD MORE EACH DAY. HE THAT TO EXPAND. KAYLA: NOW, GOVERNOR REYNOLDS SAYS THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE TALKS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. ONE OF THOSE TALKS INCLUDES HER MEETING WITH LEGISLATORS TO DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF THIS SESSION. LIVE IN DES MOINES, KAYLA JAMES, KCCI 8, NEWS IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. MAX: IOWA’S BOARD OF REGENTS HAS DIRECTED ALL THE PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES TO BRING BACK FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS WHO ARE OUT OF THE COUNTRY. THE BOARD RELEASED A STATEMENT THAT READS, IN PART, WE RECOGNIZE THIS DECISION MAY CAUSE FRUSTRATION AND HARDSHIP, BUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CONTINUES TO EXPAND WORLDWIDE. THE BOARD IS TAKING THIS ACTION IN THE INTEREST OF THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF EVERYONE. NEW TONIGHT- PRESIDENT HAS TESTED NEGATIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS. THE PRESIDENT’S PHYSICIAN SAYS HE IS CURRENTLY SYMPTOM-FREE. THERE ARE NOW MORE THAN 2500 CONFIRMED CASES OF CORONAVIRUS IN THE U.S. THERE ARE CASES CONFIRMED IN EVERY STATE EXCEPT WEST VIRGINIA. 54 PEOPLE HAVE DIED IN THE U.S. AS A RESULT OF THE VIRUS