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NEW COVID-19 NUMBERS: 2 deaths, 66 additional cases in Iowa Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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541 POSITIVE CASES FOR A TOTAL OF 7304 NEGATIVE CASES. TOTAL TESTS AVAILABLE AT THE STATE HYGIENIC LAB IS 1449. WE HAVE 63 HOSPITALIZED AS OF LAST EVENING, AND WE HAVE 118 RECOVERED. AGAIN, I AM SO SORRY TO REPORT THAT WE HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL DEATHS. BOTH ARE ELDERLY ADULTS, ONE FROM POLK COUNTY AND ONE FROM WASHINGTON COUNTY, FOR A TOTAL OF 9 DECEASED IOWANS. WHEN WE FIRST HEARD ABOUT AN OUTBREAK OF AN ONLINE VIRUS -- UNKNOWN VIRUS ACROSS THE GLOBE, IT SEEMED FAR TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON US, BUT WEEKS LATER, IT IS A REALITY. THE NEXT TWO TO THREE WEEKS ARE CRUCIAL FOR OUR COUNTRY AS WE WAIT FOR MORE COVID-19 REACTIONS TO SPIKE. THIS IS IN IOWA AND MATTER, AND WE ALL NEED TO DO OUR PART TO SLOW THE VIRUS AND SAVE LIVES. THE BEST THING TO DO IS STAY HOME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. LEAVE HOME ONLY FOR ESSENTIAL PURPOSES, LIKE GETTING GROCERIES, NECESSARY SUPPLIES, OR MEDICAL NEEDS. WORK FROM HOME IF YOU CAN. IF YOUR JOB REQUIRES YOU TO WORK AT A PHYSICAL LOCATION, KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE FROM YOUR COWORKERS, USE GOOD HYGIENE, AND FREQUENTLY DISINFECT YOUR WORK AREA. PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING, REGARDLESS IF YOU ARE OUT IN PUBLIC OR JUST OUTSIDE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND ISOLATE IF YOU ARE SICK. IF YOU OR A MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY HAVE SYMPTOMS OF A MILD ILLNESS, STAY HOME AND ISOLATE YOURSELF FROM OTHERS IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD TO AVOID EXPOSING THEM. I KNOW WE CONTINUE TO ASK A LOT, BUT WE NEED EVERYONE TO TAKE THESE SIMPLE STEPS SERIOUSLY, SO THAT WE CAN AGAIN FLATTEN THE CURVE AND PROTECT AS MANY IOWANS AS POSSIBLE AND DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE WE DON’T OVERWHELM OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEM AND OUR HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE. IT REALLY IS A DIFFICULT TIME. IOWANS ARE FEELING UNCERTAIN ABOUT THEIR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE, AND EVEN MORE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT IS TO COME IN THE WEEKS AND MONTHS AHEAD. AT A TIME AND WE ARE FOCUSED ON PROTECTING OUR PHYSICAL HEALTH, IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT WE DON’T NEGLECT OUR MENTAL WELL-BEING. TO HELP US UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT RECOGNIZING YOUR OWN SIGNS OF STRESS, FEAR, ANXIETY, AND HOW TO CARE FOR YOURSELF, I HAVE ASKED GARRETT CLAIRE ABOUT -- GEARED CLAY BALL -- GERD CLABAUGH, DIRECTOR OF THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, TO JOIN US. MR. CLABAUGH: THANK YOU, GOVERNOR REYNOLDS. AS YOU SAID, THESE ARE DIFFICULT TIMES, AND WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE FOR EACH OTHER DURING THESE CHALLENGING TIMES, AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT I ONE -- WHAT IOWANS CAN DO TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. THERE ARE SERVICES THAT CAN HELP US NAVIGATE THE NEW NORMAL DURING COVID-19 RESPONSE. FIRST, I WANT TO RUN THROUGH SOME THINGS EVERYONE CAN DO AT HOME. FIRST, READ AND LISTEN TO TRUSTED SOURCES. CERTAINLY THESE INCLUDE WEBSITES THAT WE SPONSOR AT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AS WELL AS THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL. OUR WEBSITES HAVE VERY GOOD INFORMATION, AND THEY ARE READY TO BE ACCESSED WHEN YOU ARE READY TO ACCESS INFORMATION. SECONDLY, UNPLUGGED. SOMETIMES INFORMATION, WHILE USEFUL, CAN BE VERY OVERWHELMING. KNOW WHEN TO TAKE A BREAK AND UNPLUG FROM THE CONSTANT STREAM OF INFORMATION COMING IN. THIRD, STAY HEALTHY. PRIORITIZE SLEEP. MAKE A COMMITMENT TO SLEEP EIGHT HOURS IN AN EVENING. GET SOME EXERCISE, WHETHER IT IS INSIDE THE HOME OR OUTSIDE, AND BE SURE TO PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING. FOURTHLY, CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN, WASH YOUR HANDS, PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING, STAY AT HOME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. WHILE THE FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN CAN BE UNSETTLING, TAKING CONTROL CAN HELP YOU FEEL EMPOWERED AND COUNTERACT THE STRESS YOU MAY BE FEELING. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE SEVERAL GROUPS THAT MAY BE ESPECIALLY IN NEED OF SUPPORT AT THIS TIME. OLDER IOWANS AND THOSE WHO SUFFER FROM CHRONIC DISEASES ARE AT HIGHER RISK OF COVID-19. FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE LOVED ONES IN THIS GROUPING. MAKE SURE TO CHECK IN ON THOSE AT RISK. PEOPLE WITH PRE-EXISTING HEALTH CONDITIONS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THEIR TREATMENT AND BE AWARE OF NEW OR WORSENING CONDITIONS. WE NEED TO BE SENSITIVE AT THIS TIME AS WELL. CHILDREN AND TEENS ALSO NEED HELP COPING DURING THIS TIME, SO OTHER THINGS WE CAN DO AS PARENTS IS JUST TO MAINTAIN A PREDICTABLE SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES FOR THEM. PEOPLE WHO ARE HELPING WITH THE RESPONSE TO COVID-19 CAN ALSO HAVE DIFFICULTIES DURING THIS TIME. PHYSICIANS AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS, THESE CIRCUMSTANCES CAN ALL TAKE AN EMOTIONAL TOLL, AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS CAN DO TO LESSEN THAT TRAUMATIC STRESS. FIRST, LEARN THE SYMPTOMS OF THAT TRAUMATIC STRESS, INCLUDING PHYSICAL FATIGUE AND MENTAL WITHDRAWAL. ALLOW TIME FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TO RECOVER, AND AGAIN, TAKE A BREAK FROM MEDIA COVERAGE. SOMETIMES THESE MEASURES, THOUGH, ARE NOT ENOUGH, AND MORE HELP MAY BE NEEDED, SO ASK YOURSELF IF YOU HAVE FEAR AND WORRY ABOUT YOUR OWN HEALTH AND THE HEALTH OF YOUR LOVED ONES. IF YOU HAVE CHANGES IN SLEEP OR EATING HABITS, OR YOU HAVE DIFFICULTIES WITH SLEEPING OR CONCENTRATING. IF YOU HAVE WORSENING CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS ORTOBACCO, AND INCREASING. IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO ANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS, CONSIDER SEEKING ADDITIONAL HELP. CERTAINLY YOU CAN BE IN TOUCH WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER, AND THAT INDIVIDUAL CAN CONNECT YOU TO SERVICES. OR IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE IS EXPERIENCING A DECLINE IN MENTAL HEALTH OR HAVING SUICIDAL THOUGHTS, FACING PROBLEMS WITH ALCOHOL, DRUGS, OR GAMBLING, YOU CAN CONTACT A SERVICE CALLED YOUR LIFE IOWA BY GOING TO THE WEBSITE YOURLIFEIOWA.ORG, WHERE YOU WILL FIND INFORMATION TO GET CONNECTED WITH ASSISTANCE YOU MAY NEED. ON THE WEBSITE, THERE IS A LIVE CHAT FUNCTION, SO IT IS EASY TO ENGAGE WITH SOMEONE DIRECTED -- DIRECTLY TO YOUR YOU CAN ALSO TEXT FOR HELP, AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE TEXT NUMBER FOR THAT, 855-895-8398. SIMILARLY, YOU CAN MAKE A PHONE CALL, AND THAT NUMBER IS 855-5 81-8111. ON THE WEBSITE, THERE IS ALSO A FACILITY LOCATOR SO YOU CAN FIND A PROVIDER IN YOUR AREA. YOUR LIFE IOWA IS A SERVICE SPONSORED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES , AND IT IS AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, AND RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP US THROUGH THIS UNPRECEDENTED TIME. THANK YOU, GOVERNOR. LT. GOV. GREGG: THANK YOU, -- GOV. REYNOLDS: THANK YOU, GERD, I APPRECIATE THAT. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE DIRECTOR CLABAUGH FOR EVERYTHING HE HAS DONE THE LAST FEW WEEKS, THE DAILY WORK AT THE DEPARTMENT PUBLIC HEALTH MUST CONTINUE AS NORMAL, AND UNDER GERD’S LEADERSHIP, THE TEAM IS DOING AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB, SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT TO SERVE IOWANS. WE ARE SUPPORTIVE AND APPRECIATIVE OF YOUR EFFORT AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING. FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO CLOSE WITH A BIT OF GOOD NEWS. ON MARCH 206I ORDERED THAT ALL NONESSENTIAL AND ELECTIVE DENTAL PROCEDURES BE SUSPENDED TO PRESERVE PPE. OVER-THE COURSE OF THE LAST FEW DAYS, DENTISTS FROM ACROSS IOWA HAVE DONATED THEIR PPE TO HELP COMMUNITIES DURING THIS CRISIS. I AM SO INSPIRED BY AND GRATEFUL FOR THEIR GENEROSITY, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE. WE ARE GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS. WE ARE IN FOR SOME TOUGH TIMES, BUT WE ARE IOWANS, AND I BELIEVE WE ARE GOING TO COME OUT STRONGER WHEN WE GET THROUGH THIS. AGAIN, THANKS FOR LEAVING, THANKS FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE, AND I GOES TO A WHOLE LOT OF ISLANDS OUT THERE WHO ARE STEPPING UP AND DOING THE RIGHT