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Union Pacific announces weeks of unpaid leave and pay cuts for employees, executives Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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ANNOUNCER: LIVE FROM 7 BURLINGTON STATION, THIS IS OMAHA’S NEWS LEADER, KETV NEWSWATCH 7 AT NOON. JAMES: IOWA ROLLS OUT A NEW INITIATIVE TO DRAMATICALLY INCREASE TESTING. GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANKS FOR BEING WITH US. I’M JAMES WILCOX. TEST IOWA WILL INCREASE TESTING CAPACITY BY 3000 A DAY. GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SAYS THIS WILL PROVIDE A PATH TO REOPEN THE STATE. WITH MORE THAN 488 NEW CASES TODAY, THAT IS THE BIGGEST INCREASE SINCE TRACKING. 83 PEOPLE HAVE NOW DIED FROM THE VIRUS. THE STATE WILL NOT SEE A PEEKING CASES FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF WEEKS BECAUSE OF OUTBREAKS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES. POLK COUNTY IS STILL -- HALL COUNTY IS STILL THE HOTSPOT WITH 130 EIGHT CASES. U.S. LAWMAKERS HAVE REACHED A DEAL ON ANOTHER CORONAVIRUS AID PACKAGE TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES AND HOSPITALS. IOWA IS ABOUT TO ROLL MORE LIFESAVING MEASURES TO BRING MORE TESTING TO THE STATE. ANNOUNCED LESS THAN AN HOUR AGO, GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SAYS IOWA WILL BE THE SECOND STATE IN THE NATION TO PROVIDE MORE TESTING THROUGH PRIVATE DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. UTAH ROLLED OUT MORE TESTING TWO WEEKS AGO. IT STARTS WITH YOU GOING TO TESTIOWA.COM. YOU CAN GO TO THE WEBSITE AND IT WILL ASK ABOUT YOUR SYMPTOMS, POSSIBLE EXPOSURES AND TRAVEL HISTORY. REYNOLDS SAYS THEY WILL THEN LOOK AT YOU WHERE YOU NEED TO IMPLEMENT DRIVE-THROUGH TESTING SITES AND WHERE YOU CAN GO FOR THAT. THE FIRST ONE STARTS TOMORROW AT A NURSING FACILITY AND THEN ANOTHER WILL OPEN IN DOWNTOWN DES MOINES THIS WEEKEND. THE GOVERNOR SAYS MORE SITES WILL BE AVAILABLE WHEN SHE SAYS THEY NEED TO BE DEVELOPED. THEN THEY WILL TRACK THE POSITIVE CASES TO IDENTIFY POSITIVE CLUSTERS ARE WHERE THERE SEEMS TO BE A SMALL CASE COUNT. >> IT REALLY WILL HELP US IDENTIFY WHERE THE HOTSPOTS ARE, WHERE WE ARE STARTING TO SEE A CLUSTER, WHERE WE ARE SEEING NOTHING HAPPENING BECAUSE WE CAN TALK ABOUT AREAS OF THE STATE READY TO GO AND OPEN UP AND HOW HE PRAYS THAT IN AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE -- AND HOW WHEAT PHASE THAT IN AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. JAMES: IOWA REPORTED 488 NEW CASES WITH A TOTAL OF 83 WHO HAVE DIED FROM THE VIRUS. THERE IS A PLAN TO EASE RESTRICTIONS STARTING MAY 4 IN NEBRASKA. HOSPITALS CAN RESUME ELECTIVE SURGERIES, BUT THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS, 30% OF GENERAL AND ICU BEDS MUST BE EMPTY. 30% OF VENTILATORS MUST BE AVAILABLE. HOSPITALS MUST ALSO HAVE A TWO WEEK SUPPLY OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. DENTAL AND EYE SERVICES WILL ALSO RESUME, ALONG WITH VETERINARY SERVICES. THERE ARE 1648 CONFIRMED CASES OF COVID-19 IN NEBRASKA. WE’VE BROKEN THAT DOWN BY COUNTIES. HALL COUNTY, WHICH INCLUDES GRAND ISLAND, IS SEEING HIGH NUMBER 531 PEOPLE TEST POSITIVE THERE. FURTHER WEST, DAWSON COUNTY REPORTS 172 CASES. DOUGLAS COUNTY HAS 299 CASES . 33 PEPOLE ACRO