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

Reynolds: Three cases of coronavirus confirmed in Iowa Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Hide Transcript Show Transcript

>> KCCI 8 NEWS STARTS RIGHT NOW WITH BREAKING NEWS. LAURA: BREAKING NEWS TONIGHT. THREE CASES OF THE CORONAVIRUS CONFIRMED IN IOWA. AT A RARE SUNDAY PRESS CONFERENCE, GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SAID ALL THREE CASES LIVE IN JOHNSON COUNTY AND RECENTLY RETURNED FROM A CRUISE. WE ALSO LEARNED THERE COULD BE MORE CASES WITH EIGHT PENDING TESTS. KCCI’S KAYLA JAMES JOINS US FROM THE STATEHOUSE WHERE THE GOVERNOR MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT. WHAT MORE DO WE KNOW ABOUT THESE CASES? >> WE KNOW ALL THREE PEOPLE ARE OVER THE AGE OF 40 AND RECENTLY CAME BACK FROM A CRUISE IN EGYPT. THEY ARE BEING MONITORED AT HOME WHILE IOWA LEADERS FOR WAYS TO PROTECT IOWANS. >> WE EXPECT MORE CASES WILL BE IDENTIFIED IN THE COMING DAYS AND WEEKS. ALL EYES ARE ON IOWA -- DAYS AND WEEKS. >> ALL EYES ARE ON IOWA LEADERS AS THEY TAKE THE NEXT STEPS IN FIGHTING THE CORONAVIRUS WITH THREE PRESUMPTIVE CASES AND TEST RESULTS PENDING FOR EIGHT OTHERS. >> OUR PARTNERS AT THE STATE HYGENIC LABORATORY HAVE BEEN PERFORMING THIS ON A DAILY BASIS. >> THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL FOCUS ON TEST RESULTS. GOVERNOR REYNOLDS HAS ORDERED THE FULL ACTIVATION OF THE STATE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER. MEANING HEADS OF OTHER STATE AGENCIES WILL MEET IN THIS ROOM IN JOHNSTON, MAKING SURE ALL DEPARTMENTS ARE ON THE SAME PAGE. >> WE DO ALL HAZARDS PLANNING. WHEN WE ARE SUPPORTING THOSE LOCAL JURISDICTIONS, WE ARE LOOKING AT THINGS SUCH AS MATERIALS, SUPPLIES, PERSONNEL, AND EQUIPMENT. >> THE IOWA NATIONAL GUARD SAYS THEY HAVE BROUGHT ON ADDITIONAL PEOPLE AND WILL ALSO BE AT THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER LIKE OTHER AGENCIES AROUND THE CLOCK. >> AS WE ARE HERE WITH YOU NOW, MANY MORE PEOPLE ARE GATHERING THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED ABOUT THE CURRENT CASES TO DEVELOP THE BEST STRATEGY MOVING FORWARD. >> GOVERNOR REYNOLDS SAY SHE PLANS ON GIVING UPDATES AT HER WEEKY PRESSERS. FOR NOW, AS IOWANS EMPTY SHELVES FOR SANITIZING SUPPLIES, THE GOVERNOR IS ASKING EVERYONE TO KEEP A STRICT HYGIENE ROUTIN >> WASH HER HANDS, COUGH IN HER SHOULDER. MOST IMPORTANTLY, IF YOU’RE SICK, STAY HOME. DO NOT GO WELL. >> STATE AGENCIES WILL GET RIGHT TO WORK. THEY WILL ALL MEET TOMORROW MORNING AT THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER. LIVE IN DES MONIES, KAYLA JAMES, KCCI 8 NEWS, IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. LAURA: THE U.S. DEATH TOLL FROM THE CORONAVIRUS IS NOW UP TO 22. MOST ARE IN WASHINGTON STATE. ABOUT 550 CASES HAVE BEEN REPORTED SO FAR IN 34 ST