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good morning. We'll go ahead and start with an update on the numbers for today. With 100 and 91 new positive cases for a total of 2332 positive cases, we have no new counties to report today, so the total counties remain at 82. We've had 926 negative cases today for a total of 19,460 negative test and overall tested 21,792. The state hygienic lab has 10,588 tests available. We have 1000 and seven Iowans that have recovered for a recovery rate of 43%. I'm sorry to report that we have had an additional four deaths for a total of 64 deaths in Iowa and again are just our sincere, sincerest condolences go out to the families. 13% of all positive cases in Iowa are related to a long term care facility outbreaks and 45% of all deaths in Iowa are among residents of long term care facilities across all of our our MCC regions. Yesterday there were 100 and 83 Cove it 19 patients hospitalized, 19 were admitted in the last 24 hours. 88 patients are being treated, and I see youse and 52 are on ventilators. Also in hospitals across the state, there are 7966 inpatient beds, 566 I seeyou beds and 676 ventilators available for patient care and just a reminder for more information and break down by data, by county or by region, Go to Corona virus dot Iowa dot gov. So today I want to provide, uh, today I want to provide a brief update that the Department of Public Health is working closely with some of our processing plants. The Tyson plants, especially in Columbus Junction and Waterloo, in an effort to test all employees and conduct contract trace contact tracing for all positive cases. Testing will conclude today at the Tyson Planning Columbus Junction. 2700 tests are being sent today to the Tyson plant in Waterloo, and the state Hygienic lab will be running all completed tests over the weekend. I have had the opportunity to speak with the Tyson Plan in Waterloo, I was able to do that last evening about the steps that they're taking to protect the health of their employees, including temperature screenings. They're requiring Mass to be on before the end of the facility. They are relaxing their attendance policy just to make sure that employees know that it is important that if they're sick to stay home and they're providing regular communication and multiple language, as we've said, environments where people are in close contact, including processing plants and long term care facilities are at risk for Kobe 19 to spread rapidly if an exposure occurs. The Department of Public Health has activated additional support teams to help these businesses and others conduct testing, contact tracing as well as prevention. Yesterday, we also talked about the importance of expanding testing capacity in Iowa so that we can better understand the level of the virus activity and again make targeted and informed decisions about reopening our state by increasing the number of Iowans tested either through diagnostic testing to confirm positive covet 19 cases or through serology testing to determine if a person has had the virus, we can then target specific communities and businesses that are in a position to open back up in a way that is measured and responsible. So it really is a critical piece of us talking about how we start to reopen the state of Iowa backup. I know that the possibility of getting life back to normal sooner rather than later is what hardworking Iowans want. And it is absolutely what I want to as we continue to learn. Howto live with Covert 19 until a vaccine is available, will also learn how to carefully balance not only the health of Iowans but the health of our economy. Yesterday afternoon I met what the state chief economist and agency directors from the Department of Revenue Economic Development I will finance authority workforce development. O. C. I. O. Department of Human Service is Education, Department of Transportation and Lottery to really discuss parameters and guidelines for how we will stabilize recovery, recover and grow. I was economy. The team is working now to affirm objectives and measurements, and as we move into the next as we move into the next phase of planning, we will be assembling a group that includes business and industry stakeholders to help provide input on challenges. But also opportunities ahead and really helped develop solutions to fuel the economy of the economic recovery and growth. I also had the opportunity Thio join a call yesterday with the president, the vice president and governors from all across this country. Thio to discuss guidelines for Opening up America The administration is proposing a phased approach based on up to date data and raid nous that really again mitigates the risk of research resurgence and protects the most vulnerable among us. Um, and it could be implemented on a statewide or county by county basis, a TTE the governor's discretion. The plan that we're already discussion discussing for Iowa really does a line very well with what the president's plan is. So there's a lot of similarities that we all have been looking looking at as we talk about targeting and then risk responsibly reopening on our states. I'm grateful that the administration recognizes how important it is that each state make decisions based on what's best for the people and economy in our states, and I look forward to continuing to partner at the federal level less well as the local level here in Iowa to make the best decisions to move our state forward. So one of the first, you know, we talked about medication steps and data that we've used to make targeted decisions throughout the whole cove. It crisis. One of the first significant mitigation steps that we took in Iowa was thio to slow the spread of the virus. Virus was recommending the closure of schools on March 15th. Then on April 2nd, schools were closed until April 30th and school districts were required to inform the state of their intent to provide our students concern continuous learning opportunities for the for the kids that they serve. At that time, I said that I would assess the situation two weeks out to the April 30th date date and provide further guidance on the possibility of reopening before the end of this regular scheduled school year. And believe me, I would like nothing more than to stand before you today and announce that Iowa bill be open for school in May. But as we look at the day of as we look at what the data is telling us now, I can't tell you with certainty based on the Department of Public Health data that they're providing to the office that early may will be the right time for students, teachers and staff to gather again in their classrooms. So therefore, I regret to say that I was. Schools will not reopen for this school year, but school districts will be required to continue to provide content continuous learning opportunities for their students until the end of the regular school year and here to share some more information about the decision. And what will be expected of school district districts as they prepare for the summer and fall is the Department of Education director and LeBeau and thank you, Governor. Closing schools to the end of the year is not an easy decision and we do know the challenges this creates. But we also know this decision is necessary to ensure the health and safety of those we serve. This also includes the cancellation of spring sports seasons, adding to the many school activities which have already been lost. I was schools are essential to our communities well beyond the educational service is they provide, and we recognize the loss of springs too many. We'll provide more information by June 1st about summer sports seasons, even though our school buildings air closed, learning opportunities across, I will earn full swing thanks to the efforts of our school staff and leaders. Under normal circumstances, the timeline for developing continuous learning plans would take months, years, even our school's developed and implemented solutions and only a matter of weeks. Every one of I was 327 public school districts as well as 179 on nonpublic schools submitted plans just one week ago. In a short turnaround, they kept their families informed, identified student needs work to ensure equitable access to learning opportunities and dove in headfirst to provide continuous learning strategies to meet the needs of their students and families. Instructional time requirements will continue to be way for the remainder of the 19 2020 20 academic your for all schools providing continuous learning opportunities through either the monetary option, the required option or a combination of the two. To prepare for a return to face to face learning, schools will need to design and submit a return toe learn plan to the evil Department of Education by July 1. This plan may include options for summer school enrichment activities or other opportunities designed to address disruptions to learning as result of Cove in 19 that will be further supported through recommendations from the Continuous Learning Task force. Governor Reynolds also waive the late August start date for schools during this public health emergency, so school districts and non public schools can make local decisions about the 24,021 academic year. As we find our way forward, robust, engaging options for learning outside of brick and mortar will become an integral part of our educational framework, complimenting face to face learning and preparing students for the increasingly digital world they live in thes X. These are extraordinary times for our teachers, administrators and staff who are transitioning to this new learning landscape and for our students who are transitioning to for the class of 2020. The senior year of high school is very different than previous classes have experienced. Like most high school seniors, the class of 2020 likely won't go to prom, have a senior skip day or even a graduation ceremony. But despite all of this, they remain focused on the future. We know that parents are adjusting to in more ways and I can fairly capture so to them. I just want to say thank you. It isn't easy and we're doing everything we can to support our schools, families and students as they adjust to a new way of learning and of life. The department continues to meet virtually the school leaders twice a week to answer questions and have removed barriers to high school graduation. Helped to mobilize, grab and go meals for students Built an online bank of resource is to help teachers and families moved to continuous learning and waved assessment and testing requirements so schools can focus on engaging with students. We're also helping to connect. Resource is for schools in need of technology, materials and supplies in light of covert 19. Impact on education delivery. The education donations donations research page on our website is updated regularly, and we have already connected schools with partners such as D A chest to support some of those needs. Kobe, 19 has created challenges, but our school administrators, teachers, district staff, parents, caregivers and students are resilient, resourceful and tenacious. For that, I am grateful and reassured that we will get through this together and come out stronger on the other side. Thank you. Thanks to Yan on. I just greatly appreciate all the work that you and the education task work force has done to initiate continuous learning and the work that you will do now to prepare districts to return to learn this fall and again to the superintendent's and the teachers out there. Also. Thanks for what you're doing to provide continuous learners to our students during this really tough time. And I want to thank the school district's offer their students Senator approaches, you begin to look ahead for the next year. This is an unprecedented time and you continue to help us re imagine how Iowa students can continue to learn regardless of the circumstances. So I look forward to working with you and learning more about the plans in the months of to come. So in closing, I want to share some good news that will help. I will begin to move forward. And um, we have had 2 22,295 Iowa businesses that were approved for loans through the S B A paycheck protection program. And this will circulate 3.75 billion in the Iowa economy and keep thousands of Iowans working. I want to think I was SP a lenders on reacting swiftly to help these businesses keep moving and to keep their employees hired, Iowa ranks in the top 20 of all states approved for funding, and that was due to the quick response of Iowa banks and credit unions. Additionally, Io Economic Development Authority Small Business Relief Grant Waas has sent 96% of the $24 million to over 1200 Iowa businesses, so they also have stood up a program so quickly and then got the funding out to the individuals who qualified for that. So we're waiting on guidance from the US Treasury for the money that will be coming in tow, Iowa so that we hope to expand those small business relief grants. We just need some additional information before we're able to talk about what our next steps are. I from Iowa. So with that, we will open it up to questions. Governor lead. This is unprecedented. Obviously, her kids at school that's difficult. Was this decision to make for you in the administration? What is it for so many students? Kids. It was very hard on all of the decisions that I've had to make. It had just unbelievable on repercussions on Iowans, families and students and businesses all across the state. But just as other governors have done when you sit down and try to talk about how we responsibly start to open back up Iowa, we still haven't actually peaked at this point. And we just don't have the data that I think that we need to start to have the conversation about opening them up. So, you know, we just we made the decision yesterday. For right now, I told him I would give him a two week notice on what we thought it would look like. And we just are not gonna be where we need to be by May 1 toe help give them the information they need to put the plans in place to try to figure out how to reopen school, which, potentially for some schools, would have been 2 to 3 weeks, and some may be for, you know, But we spent a lot of time trying to figure out if we could do that, and it just wasn't possible. So right now I want to Just again. Uh, thank you. Heartfelt. Thank you, too. The administrators and the teachers that are putting plans in place. We're getting better at it. We've had to stand him up relatively quickly, but they've done it. They did do that. And now we're gonna continue to look for opportunities to enhance and really make those programs even better so we can continue to work with the kids. It's one of the races. I waive the school day because maybe there's a possibility for schools to start three weeks early and start some of that re mediation so that we can start to see where the kids were at and help provide them the instruction they need to get them there to where they should be at and really ableto move forward. Do you have any data on how many students are actually participating in continuous limit learning at this point, either because their school district's air making it mandatory or because they're doing voluntary there spent some reports from other states that participation is not that great? Yeah, And so that is the concern. And so, you know, we were kind of just right in the middle of the pandemic, and we had to do what we had to D'oh! It's been a valuable learning experience, and I think as we move forward, we're gonna continue to enhance it and be in a better place. We can do better, and we need to do better. And that would be part of it. I think Kathy, moving these school districts from a voluntary to a registered because in the registered piece of it, they actually do take attendance and they give, I think greats, Right? Do you have anything you want to answer? That I should? Yeah, not at this point. I mean, you did just sort of start and we recognize that some districts might change our goal, though I think is we look at this. Progressing is it's going to significantly look different as we continue to move forward. So I don't have that data for you. I'm not sure how we could gather it. We could try anecdotally, but the one thing we are asking District's do is we start to think about it, return to learn, that's what they will be looking at. How many kids didn't participate? They're gonna have to make those measurements, and we'll make those as part of our recommendations because we're all gonna have some significant disruptions to address in the fall. So that will be part of that process. Governor. They'll be working on through through this interim and continue to work on all the time, especially with the task force that they have in place. I'm sorry. Discussion of the Midwest States getting together? Yeah, let's talk about you not joining. But some of our neighbors way have been in constant contact with all of the governors across the country, whether it's been on the conference calls with the vice president, the president, or just various times, pick up the phone and see what they're doing in the States. And so we kind of had already established a group of governors that have worked very closely with the flood mitigation that we've been working with, especially with the levee system along the western side of the state. So I have been in close contact through all of this with Governor Rick. It's because of Omaha and counsel Blas and just what we've worked on with the flood. And so ah, we've been working with North Dakota Governor South Dakota governor. Nebraska governor of Missouri Governor um, Arkansas. We've I think they've reached out to Kansas. Governor, Governor Kelly has been involved also in the flood Task force. So that's kind of a unit that we've been working with to start to talk about how we reopen as a region. So which is a relationship that it already has existed working through some really tough flooding that we had take place list last year. So you gonna work with Government Illinois as well? You know, I've worked with Pritzker on several issues, so So there would be no reason. I mean, we continued to communicate and talk about what we're doing. So it's just these are the ones that we kind of worked with and had already been working with. And so we've got kind of a ah group that we've done calls we've been watching this year because we still have a very vulnerable levee system along the western side of the state. So we're watching the forecast. We're trying to do that from a regional perspective to make sure that we're, you know, protecting both sides. And we're the best possible place that we can be as we move into spring flooding, so but we're going to continue. Every governor is approaching this, based on data from their state, talking about best practices, what they done, how they've applied it. We learned from from everybody. And that's the benefit, actually, of getting on the calls. They'll talk about what they need, what they've experienced. Some areas that they've had some problems with, maybe some of the testing supply. So it's just it's beneficial to talkto toe all of them going back to the packing plant. You clarify for us a little bit. What you think the role of OSHA is spent some conflicting reports that they don't think this is maybe their job to do a mitigation, and they don't have inspectors and the plants all the time. And secondly, on the packing plant issue are you, uh Let's see. I'm sorry. Losing my train of thought here. You mentioned talking with the employer, but have you also talked with groups representing the workers? And are you? Do you have that cross check with what they're doing? Yeah. So OSHA is the who they would go to with any worker safety or employer concerns that they have a process in place where AH worker has an opportunity to file a complaint if they feel like they're being exposed to unsafe work workspace, that it's not safe. I did reach out to Commissioner Robert to see how he is handling this, he said. They have been proactive in reaching out to businesses and processing plants and making sure that they understand what the I would Department of Public Health and the CDC guidelines are, um, they any complaint that comes in, they have a team that investigates that. So all complaints are being investigated. The number for that is 1 803 3 to 0419 So again they have a process in place. It's Iowa OSHA. They do work with them, have proactively reached out to them, follow up with any complaint, regardless of what kind of a business it is. It's followed up through the agency, and they did say when my team talk Thio Commissioner Roberts that they are expecting Cove it 19 specific guidance from federal OSHA this week, so they'll just have that can enhance what they're already doing and they are expecting to get that this week two groups representing. So I have focused on. So I'm really focused on, like the HR or the production, the plant manager, so that we can understand what the needs are. So we can first of all, make sure that the employees air safe and that they're working in a safe environment and testing as a critical component of that. So we can start to understand what the scope of the exposure has been and through contact tracing how we can get in front of that and hopefully protect the employees and ultimately keep the plant up and going so that we can keep the flow of food going out of Iowa and throughout the nation. They are critical infrastructure, and it's essential that we do everything we can to protect the workforce while keeping these problems processing plants up and going. And so that's where I Cathy have been working because I want to get the testing supplies down. I want to make sure that they are providing. Are they? If there's any other things that they might need that we can facilitate helping them with. I had a good conversation with the H R team at the Tyson Plan and Waterloo yesterday, I kind of ran through. Some of the things were, you know, they they want to do everything they can to keep their work bores healthy. And there they are. They have been adamant about if you're sick, stay home. Like I said, they they eliminated their incentive plan for not, you know, not calling in six. They didn't want anybody to think, you know, they didn't wanna incentivize anybody to do that. They wanted to make sure that they knew that if you were sick, stay home. They can't enter the plant without a mask on their providing or they can bring their own. They are taking temperature scans or disinfecting more regular. More often, they are distancing as much as they can. They're separating when people go on brakes, they're doing that at different times. They're allowing individuals to break in the locker area if they feel like they can't, um, get the social distancing that they're trying to get in the break room. So they've just done on their implementing and continually looking for additional things that they can do to make sure that they have a safe environment for their employees. So that was just I called to see You know what they did to let them know that we were sending testing supplies to them. They should arrive today. How many? 20 7 100 20. 700. So I want to let them know that they were coming. I just wanted to check and see if they needed a team to help facilitate the testing and then to let them know we also had 1500 tests that went to three clinics in the Waterloo area as well. So that we have additional testing capacity for the residents of the community as well. And I think that's, uh, really important, too. Aaron at me. Uh, thank you. I can you? Uh, first Brooke would clarify. Is this recommendation on the school's doors have been ordered. Well, right now they ask. I let them know that, um that that kind of give him an update on where I thought we were going. And we will not be opening schools back up for this school year, and it'll be in an order, but it'll be at the end of the 30 day expiration. So currently that's already in place. I want to give him a heads up. It doesn't look like it this time. Based on the data that we have and that we haven't peaked, the turnaround time just wouldn't be enough. I don't think toe open things back up and that. So I wanted to let them know that's the direction we will be going. And then the official order will go out after April 30th. All right, we're gonna care about that. Hey, W w l Hi, Governor. The past two days you've talked AA lot about Tyson and the outbreak in Waterloo that's linked to the plant. Can you give us shed some light on what the threshold is, too, when that plan would possibly be shut down? If that's even a possibility? Well, our goal is to hope that we don't, and that's why we're doing the surveillance testing. And that's why the testing capacity is so important for all of these businesses inferred long term care facilities and just for potential hot spots across the date. Because we can get in there early and start to get some sense of how what the what? The percentage of the population is its testing positive, so weaken D'oh! The contact tracing. And what that does is it works. They will. You won't explain that I should let you do, would you? D'oh! Thank you. Yeah. So in terms of the threshold of what it would look like toe close a plant down. We haven't gotten there yet in terms of feeling like from a state perspective that we need to order that. That's one of the reasons that we are providing and facilitating surveillance, testing. And Serena's testing really am includes testing not only people who might be symptomatic, but also people who might be infected with the virus but who are asymptomatic. And so the goal of that is to keep sick individuals out of the workplace so that the manufacturing and food processing can continue. And so I think that you know our perspective and our understanding is that the owners of these facilities, they also want to do everything they can to keep their workforce healthy. And so we haven't we feel like they've been great partners so far. They're asking the right questions. They're doing the right things. Governor Reynolds just walked through a number of the things that are happening within those facilities to try to make sure that they can stay up and running and also keep their employees safe. Eso At this point time, we haven't fellas a state health department that there's a need to issue a closure order. We will continue to keep an eye on the data. But what? But that's really the reason that we're helping facilitate some of this surveillance testing because we do believe that the CEOs of these companies, they want to do the right thing. They want to keep their employees healthy. And part of that is making sure we can identify individuals who are sick so they can be at home and recover and not spread the virus of the workplace. We're gonna nick the Moines Register. Yes. Thank you, governor. So with the school not being reopened for the rest of the year and, um, you think that the data show I will be safe in early May? What does this mean for other businesses are being closed to April 30 on the Disdain Emergency Declaration Committee. Expect those closures to extend as well. Well, we don't know. That's we have two more weeks to continue to gather the data. We're gonna have the capacity to increase the amount of testing to see what the scope is across the state. We're gonna continue to work with our long term care facilities with businesses and with Iowans, we're gonna continue to really build out the contact tracing we have. You know, we're ready to go once we get the testing for serology testing. Which contest? If you have had the virus, was as we learn more and and you've recovered, then what is the immunity against getting it again? And so we've got to testing labs that are ready to do that. We're just waiting on additional testing capacity to come into the state. So and we've requested that. So we're going to continue to gather all that data. Look at the rates, put the metrics in place, and again, you know, this will be a phased in approach. So as we dialed back down in region six, which I you know, those that was hard to do that as well. But because of what we were seeing with the increased infection rate, we felt we needed to take some additional steps. And as we learn more from the testing that we're doing in that region. We'll take a look at what that looks like over the next week or the next two weeks has 14 days that we dialed it down just a little bit. And then we can look at other regions of the state that they're doing really well and start to look like what some of the metrics look like. They're. And maybe there will be an opportunity for us to start to open things up in a responsible and phased in manner. So we're gonna continue to look at it. The data across the state, county by region and by communities to more questions. I'm second last bath case yard. Thank you so much. This is a numbers question. When it comes to the neurology tests, what percent of I would population? Would you be comfortable with getting one of those antibody tests before Iowa could be open for business? Oh, it's not. And thank you for the question. I think there is a release to serology testing. There is a lot that we still need to understand about this particular virus and including once somebody has had it, what their level of immunity is, what the you know, how many antibodies they would need to be able to prevent infection and if they are immune, how long that immunity might last. And so I think there are a lot of questions that we still need to learn about serology testing. But serology testing is just, you know, one tool in our toolbox to understand if somebody has been infected with the virus and you know, the the length of immunity that they might have, I think really remains to be determined. And so there are people that are actively working on that. But the serology testing is one tool for us to be able to use in terms of trying to understand the number of people in our communities that have had the virus, they might have had a mild illness. And so, to the extent that that is the case, and we can put them back in the workplace, um, that that's just one strategy that will use in terms of trying to, you know, dial back up and, um, reopen things a little bit. Last question will be a rage on that channel I got. There may be a question for director LeBeau, but I'm serious what the main problems are. That status heard schools running into with continuous learning and then also just the more details on what we could expect to see what the return toe learn plans. I'm sure a lot of parents will be wondering it. Their child will be moving on to the next grade in the fall. Will they possibly be helped back? Um, so a couple, I'll try and answer parts of your questions. So, um, you know whether or not Children move on that that is and always has been a local decision. So that's up for schools and determine grades and completion. So the resource is that will be offering to help support. Those return to learn plans will help District's work through that process. In regards to the challenges that district were facing, There's there's, there's several, and we're seeing it sort of broadly spread, depending on on the district's previous readiness to offer virtual learning or expanded learning. A lot of district simply did not have the capacity. They didn't have the broadband they didn't have. The resource is we know they're working on getting hot spots and devices and part of our education resource is pages to help partner. Those resource is schools that have needs. We're trying to find the resource is for them. There's also a lot of challenges with your student populations. You know, some kids are having to work and help support their families. We know of Children who are working overnight shifts at High V, and so the challenges for school looks much different for them. So we wanted that to be a local decision. But knowing that these plans, we're going to continue and last a little bit longer, we expect them to be different, and we expect there to be a transition. And we will do what we can to help districts get better at this, because this is something we're gonna have to make sure we're able to do going forward. One last thing I just want to say to Iowans out there, Thanks for tuning in and thanks for being a part of these daily briefings. And I know this has been a tough week, and this has been a tough road with some really tough decisions that's impacting Iowans and families and businesses all across the state. And while this has been a really tough week. I want you to know there are a lot of really positive signs out there as well, and this team is not only working hard to make sure that we're taking care of vulnerable Iowans, not overwhelming the health care system and really making sure that we flatten the curb. But we also every day are looking at ways that we can open it back up this economy and let I ones get out there and do what they do so well. So hang in there. There's, you know, it's been a tough week, but there's also ah, lot of positive signs that we're seeing out there. So if you just hang with us for two more weeks and be responsible and stay at home if you're sick, only go out for essential service is work from home. If you can and really do your part, then we'll do our part and we're gonna get Iowa opened up again. So thank you. I appreciate that