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

Reynolds declares 'Day of Prayer' for Thursday in light of COVID-19 Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Hide Transcript Show Transcript

LEADER, KCCI 8 NEWS AT NOON. ERIC: IN THE PAST HOUR, THERE HAVE BEEN 97 NEW CASES ANNOUNCED IN THE STATE AND IT NOW TOPS 1100 SICK IOWANS. ONE MORE PERSON HAS DIED, BRINGING THE STATE DEATH TOLL TO 27 THIS NOON HOUR. GOVERNOR REYNOLDS GAVE AN UPDATE ON THE NUMBER OF HOSPITAL BEDS AVAILABLE IN THE STATE. KCCI SENIOR REPORTER TODD MAGEL IS LIVE AT CAMP DODGE, WHERE THE GOVERNOR JUST WRAPPED UP HER DAILY UPDATE, TODD? TODD: WE ARE HEARING FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT NUMBERS OF HOSPITAL BEDS AND EQUIPMENT IN CENTRAL IOWA, INCLUDING DES MOINES AND AMES. THE STATE REPORT JUST RELEASED THIS MORNING SHOWS THAT 33 PATIENTS ARE HOSPITALIZED FOR COVID-19 IN THIS REGION NUMBER ONE. 11 ICU PATIENTS ARE IN THE HOSPITAL AND SIX ARE ON VENTILATORS. COMPARE THAT TO THE 1433 BED STILL AVAILABLE, 179 ICU BED STILL AVAILABLE, AND 221 VENTILATORS THAT HAVE NOW BEEN USED AND ARE AVAILABLE. CLEARLY, THAT SHOW CENTRAL IOWA HOSPITALS HAVE AN BEDS AND EQUIPMENT FOR RIGHT NOW. OF COURSE, THEY STILL NEED MORE PPE, THE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, BUT THE GOVERNOR SAYS SHE IS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT MEDICAL PREPARATIONS AS OF TODAY. >> WE ARE ALWAYS PREPARING FOR THE WORST, BUT I AM SOMEWHAT OPTIMISTIC. WE HAVE NOT PEAKED YET. WE ANTICIPATE THAT AT THE END OF THE MONTH, BUT ONLY 10% ARE HOSPITALIZED RIGHT NOW, SO THAT IS A GOOD NUMBER. I THINK THE NUMBER THAT GIVES US A LOT OF HOPE IS THAT 38% OF POSITIVE CASES HAVE RECOVERED. TODD: THAT IS GOOD NEWS, AND THERE IS MORE GOOD NEWS FOR THOUSANDS OF IOWA BUSINESSES. WE HAVE RECEIVED 14,000 APPLICATIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESS GRANTS, SO HELP FOR ALL OF THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE CLOSED DOWN BECAUSE OF THIS. THEY HAVE ASKED FOR 148 MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE STATE AND THE STATE DOES NOT HAVE THAT MUCH TO GIVE, BUT THEY HAVE ALLOWED 24 MILLION DOLLARS, THANKS TO THE IOWA LEGISLATURE, TO GIVE TO SMALL BUSINESSES. FIRST CHECKS WENT OUT LAST NIGHT TO IOWA SMALL BUSINESSES AND MORE WILL GO OUT TODAY AND TOMORROW. WE WILL HEAR HOW THE PROCESS IS WORKING AND HOW SOON BUSINESSES WILL GET THAT MONEY COMING UP TONIGHT AT 5:00