SIGN UP FOR BREAKING NEWS Get local stories sent straight to your inbox as news breaks. Submit Privacy Notice

Des Moines Mayor issues state of emergency Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Hide Transcript Show Transcript

A FIRE TODAY IN DES MOINES. MAX: WE BEGIN WITH THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ON THE CORONAVIRU IN ADDITION TO THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEING SUSPENDED, DES MOINES MAYOR FRANK COWNIE HAS DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY TODAY, WHICH MEANS LARGE PUBLIC GATHERINGS ARE NOT ALLOWED. LAURA: THAT ALSO MEANS THE DES MOINES’ SAINT PATRICK’S DAY PARADE IS CANCELED. THE FEDERAL RESERVE ANNOUNCED WILL CUT ITS TARGET INTEREST RATE TO ZERO. MAX: THERE ARE 18 CASES COVID-19 IN IOWA. GOVERNORS IN SEVERAL STATES AR ORDERING BARS AND RESTAURANTS TO CLOSE TO PREVENT THE VIRUS FROM SPREADING. LAURA: MORE ON THAT BREAKING NEWS FROM THE STATEHOUSE. THIS AFTERNOON, THE HOUSE AN SENATE ANNOUNCED THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION WILL PAUSE FOR 30 DA AS COVID-19 REACHES COMMUNITY SPREAD IN IOWA. THE HOUSE AND SENATE WILL CONVENE TOMORROW TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO KEEP GOVERNMENT SERVICES GOING. STAFF MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC WILL BE REQUIRED TO UNDERGO A HEALTH SCREENING BEFORE THEY’RE ALLOWED IN THE CAPITOL TOMORROW. ALL SCHEDULED EVENTS AND TOURS ARE CANCELED. PEOPLE OLDER THAN 60 OR WITH UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS ARE ASKED TO AVOID THE CAPITOL. MAX: THE CITY OF DES MOINES IS NOW IN A STATE OF EMERGENCY. MAYOR FRANK COWNIE ANNOUNCED THE DECISION THIS AFTERNOON. LAURA: KCCI’S BEAU BOWMAN JOINS US NOW TO EXPLAIN WHAT THIS MEANS AND WHAT YOU CAN NOT D MOVING FORWARD. BEAU: THE PROCLAMATION MADE BY MAYOR COWNIE TODAY LARGE FOCUSES ON BIG GROUPS OF PEOPLE. COWNIE EXPLAINED TODAY THAT ANY GATHERING OF OVER 250 PEOPLE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY IS PROHIBITED. THAT INCLUDES THE SAINT PATRICK’S DAY PARADE THAT WAS SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY. PARADE ORGANIZERS SAID IT WOULD BE CANCELED SHORTLY AFTER TH STATE OF EMERGENCY WAS ANNOUNCED. HE ALSO SAID TO AVOID PRIVATE GATHERINGS IF POSSIBLE. >> WE SHOULD ALL BE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW WE GATHER, WHERE W GATHER, AND TO RESPECT THAT SOCIAL DISTANCING THAT WE ALL SHOULD HAV BEAU: AND POLICE AREN’T TAKING THIS LIGHTLY. THEY’LL BE IN CHARGE ENFORCING THIS BAN OF LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY THEY SAID THEY WOULD DO ANYTHING POSSIBLE TO JUST END THE GATHERING PEACEFULLY, BUT IF THAT DOESN’T WORK, THEY COULD CHARGE PEOPLE WITH A SIMPLE MISDEMEANOR. BUT THEY SAID THEY HOPE THEY DON’T HAVE TO DEAL WITH TOO MANY OF THOSE. >> DRASTIC CIRCUMSTANCES CALL FOR SOME DRASTIC MEASURES. IT’S CERTAINLY UNUSUAL FOR AL OF US TO BE IN THIS POSITION. I THINK EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO DO THE RIGHT THING SO WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS AS FAST AS WE CAN AND GET BACK ON THE OTHER SIDE WHERE WE C ENJOY THESE GATHERINGS LIKE THE FARMERS MARKET AND THE BASEBALL GAMES AND THOSE THINGS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS TO OFFER US. BEAU: MAYOR COWNIE SAID IT’S UNCLEAR HOW LONG THIS STATE EMERGENCY WILL LAST. IT COULD LAS WEEKS OR EVEN A FEW MONTHS. BEAU BOWMAN, KCCI 8 NEWS, IOWA’S NEWS LEADE LAURA: BUSINESS OWNERS HERE IN DES MOINES SAY THEY’RE WATCHING STATE AND LOCAL LEADERS CLOSELY. KCCI’S KAYLA JAMES IS LIVE DOWNTOWN WITH WHAT THEY’RE DOING IN THE MEANTIM KAYLA: I STOPPED IN AT SEVERAL BARS AND RESTAURANTS HERE ALONG COURT AVENUE. BUSINESSES AND MANAGERS TELL ME THEY ARE NOT REALLY DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY RIGHT N EXCEPT TAKING EXTRA STEPS TO SANITIZE INSIDE THEIR BUILDING WE HAVE SEEN A FEW BUSINESSES CHANGE BIGGER EVENTS. ANNIE’S IRISH PUB IS POSTPONING THEIR ANNUAL ST. PATRICK’S DAY BLOCK PARTY. THEY SAY THEY MADE DECISION AFTER SPEAKING WITH CITY OFFICIALS OVER SEVERAL WEEKS AND KEEPING WATCH OVER CORONAVIRUS UPDATES. MAYOR COWNIE SAYS THE VIRUS’S IMPACT ON BUSINESSES COULD B LARGE, SAYING FOR EXAMPLE, RETAIL SALES COULD BE DOWN 30% AND WITH EVENTS AND BUSINESS TRIPS BEING CANCELLED, CATCH DES MOINES SAYS EVEN THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF GROUPS COULD LEAVE A MAJOR IMPACT. >> YOU FIGURE YOU HAVE 50 PEOPLE HERE FOR THREE DAYS FOR MEETINGS AND WHAT HAVE YOU. THEY’LL SPEND ABOUT $50,000 I THE COMMUNITY. SO IT HAS MAJOR IMPACT YOU LOOK AT BIGGER CONVENTIONS, 2000 OR 3000 PEOPLE, THAT WILL HAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS O IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY. KAYLA: GREG SAYS THERE IS GOOD NEWS. AS OF NOW, THERE HAS NOT BEEN THAT MAJOR OF AN EVENT CANCELED. KAYLA JAMES, KCCI 8 NEWS IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. MAX: GOVERNORS IN OTHER STATES HAVE ALREADY ORDERED MANDATORY CLOSURES OF BARS A RESTAURANTS. IN OHIO, THEY MUST SHUT DOWN BY 9:00 TONIGHT. AND BARS AND RESTAURANTS IN ILLINOIS MUST CLOSE BY THE END OF BUSINESS TOMORROW. CALIFORNIA’S GOVERNOR IS CALLING FOR THESE TYPES OF BUSINESSES TO CLOSE, TOO. LARGE EVENTS INVOLVING B CROWDS ARE ALREADY DISCOURAGED, BUT PEOPLE IGNORED THAT THIS WEEKEND IN CHICAGO. THEY PACKED BARS AND SIDEWALKS TO CELEBRATE ST. PATRICK’S DA EVEN AFTER THE CITY CANCELLED ITS PARADE. LAURA: NEW TONIGHT, THE MARSHALLTOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT IS EXTENDING ITS SPRING BREAK THROUGH MARCH 20. THE CANCELLATION INCLUDES ATHLETIC EVENTS, PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS, AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMING. THE DISTRICT SAYS IT’S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND STAFF TO POSTPONE THEIR RETURN. ALL 12-MONTH AND LICENSED EMPLOYEES, ALONG WITH FOOD SERVICE WORKERS, ARE EXPECTED TO COME IN DURING THE BREAK EXTENSIO ALL DES MOINES PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT PROGRAMS ARE CANCELED THROUGH MARCH 30. SUPERINTENDENT TOM AHART SAYS THAT WILL GIVE THE DISTRICT TIME TO DEEP-CLEAN EVERY DISTRICT BUILDING IT’LL ALSO BUY THEM TIME TO SEE HOW COVID-19 PROGRESSES THROUGH THE STATE. BECAUSE OF SPRING BREAK, THE DISTRICT ONLY HAD TO CANCEL TWO SCHEDULED DAYS OF CLASS. MAX: GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS HAS YET TO CANCEL SCHOOL STATEWIDE, BUT TODAY, MINNESOTA DID TAKE THAT STE GOVERNOR TIM WALZ ISSUED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO CLOSE ALL K-12 SCHOOLS FOR EIGHT DAYS, STARTING WEDNESDAY. HERE’S WHAT THE GOVERNORS OF OUR NEIGHBORING STATES HAVE DECIDED. ILLINOIS SCHOOLS WILL CLOSE STATEWIDE FOR NEARLY TWO WEEKS STARTING TUESDAY. WISCONSIN SCHOOLS WILL CLOSE STARTING WEDNESDAY. SOUTH DAKOTA’S GOVERNOR HAS REQUESTED SCHOOLS START CLOSING LATER THIS WEEK. IN NEBRASKA, THE GOVERNOR SAYS HE MIGHT ORDER SCHOOLS CLOSED FOR SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS. THE GOVERNOR OF MISSOURI HAS