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IDPH reports 2 deaths, 125 new COVID-19 cases Thursday Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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ANNOUNCER: KCCI 8 NEWS STARTS RIGHT NOW. GOVERNOR REYNOLDS: 1270 TOTAL CASES. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF COUNTIES REMAINS AT 79. WE HAD 882 NEGATIVE CASES FOR A TOTAL OF 13,703 NEGATIVE CASES. WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO TEST AT THE STATE HYGIENIC LAB OF 2530 TESTS. WE HAVE 115 HOSPITALIZED AS OF YESTERDAY. 476 RECOVERED FOR A RECOVERY RATE OF 38%. WE HAVE HAD AN ADDITIONAL 2 DEATHS, ONE ELDERLY AND ONE OLDER ADULT, BOTH FROM LINN COU NTY. YESTERDAY, I WAS JOINED BY THE IOWA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO UPDATE IOWANS ON OUR PROGRESS FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS RELIEF PROGRAM. TODAY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ANNOUNCED THAT 6.6 MILLION AMERICANS FILE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT LAST WEEK. IN IOWA, WE CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CLAIMS WEEKLY. I HAVE ASKED BETH TOWNSEND TO JOIN ME TODAY TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE. BETH: THE NUMBER OF INITIAL CLAIMS REPORTED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR FILED IN IOWA BETWEEN SUNDAY, MARCH 29 AND SATURDA APRIL 4, WAS 67,000. THE NUMBER OF CONTINUING CLAIMS WAS 92,952. THIS INCLUDES 3147 CLAIMS FILED BY INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK IN IOWA BUT LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE STATE. WE PAID $27 MILLION OF UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS DURING LAST WEEK. MOST OF THE CLAIMS ARE BEING PAID IN SEVEN TO 10 DAYS FROM THE TIME OF THEIR INITIAL FILING. AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, THE CORONAVIRUS AID RELIEF AND ECONOMIC SECURITY ACT TOOK EFFECT ON MARCH 29, 2020. I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE INCREMENTING THAT ACT. THE ACT PROVIDES UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR THE SELF-EMPLOYED, INCLUDING INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS, FREELANCERS, GIG ECONOMY WORKERS, NONPROFIT EMPLOYEES, AND THE SELF-EMPLOYED. YOU CAN WATCH A VIDEO ON OUR WEBSITE THAT CAN SHOW YOU HOW TO APPLY FOR THESE PARTICULAR BENEFITS. YOU CAN ALSO UPLOAD THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS TO PROVE AND ESTABLISH YOUR INCOME FOR 2019 OR 2020 IN ORDER FOR US TO DETERMINE WHAT ELIGIBILITY YOU HAVE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. THE CARES ACT ALSO PROVIDES FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION THAT WILL PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL $600 PER WEEK FOR EVER AND WHO QUALIFIES FOR A NEW OR EXISTING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT, INCLUDING THOSE WHO ARE RECEIVING REGULAR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AND THOSE WHO ARE SELF-EMPLOYED. THE START DATE FOR THIS PROGRAM IS MARCH 20 9, 2020. THE END DATE IS JULY 1, 2020. WE ANTICIPATE THESE PAYMENTS TO GO OUT NEXT WEEK. WE WILL POST IN UPDATE ON OUR WEBSITE. YOU CANNOT VOLUNTARILY QUIT YOUR JOB IN AN EFFORT TO OBTAIN THE WEEKLY BENEFIT OR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. VOLUNTARY QUITS ARE A DISQUALIFIER FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. YOU MUST BE LAID OFF, IN A TEMPORARY LAYOFF, OR HAVE REDUCED HOURS TO QUALIFY FOR EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS. WE HAVE BEEN WAIVING THE CHARGES TO EMPLOYERS’ ACCOUNTS. TODAY, WE ARE ANNOUNCING THAT WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE A TRIGGER SO THAT ONCE THE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE TRUST FUND REACHES THIS BALANCE, WE WILL NEED TO BEGIN CHARGING EMPLOYERS WITH THESE UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS. THAT TRIGGER IS $950 MILLION. WE ARE CURRENTLY AT $1.13 BILLION IN OUR TRUST FUND. NONE OF THE BENEFITS FROM THE CARES ACT WILL BE TAKEN FROM THE TRUST FUND. THIS APPLIES ONLY TO UNEMPLOYME CLAIMS THAT ARE MADE BY EMPLOYEES WITH EMPLOYERS IN THE STATE OF IOWA. FEDERAL LEGISLATION HAS PROVIDED THAT EXPERIENTIAL RATINGS ON BUSINESSES WILL NOT BE IMPACTED BY THESE CLAIMS. THE OVERALL BALANCE STRONGLY AFFECTS THE FEDERAL TAX TABLE IOWA EMPLOYERS WILL BE IN IN 2021. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN TAX TABLE SEVEN. WE BELIEVE SETTING THIS TRIGGER WILL HELP TO ENSURE WE DO NOT FALL INTO TAX TABLE SIX. THE TAX TABLES AFFECT THE BASELINE TAX RATES FOR EMPLOYERS AND IS KEY TO HELP MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF THIS EVENT MOVING FORWARD. IOWA WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES TO RECEIVE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CALLS PER DAY. WE ARE WORKING HARD TO ANSWER ALL OF THOSE CALLS. WHEN YOU CALL, PLEASE WAIT FOR THE RINGING TO STOP. YOU WILL HEAR MOMENTARY SILENCE, AND THEN SOMEONE WILL ANSWER THE PHONE. WE ARE WORKING HARD TO CLEAN OUT THE EMAIL BOX BY THE END OF THE DAY. AS THE GOVERNOR SAYS ALL THE TIME, SHE KNOWS IOWANS ARE GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS TOGETHER. I WOULD ASK THAT ALL IOWANS PROVIDE THE HARD-WORKING AND DEDICATED STAFF AT IWD THE SAME PATIENCE AND GRACE THEY WOULD THEIR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS. WE MAY NOT GET TO YOU AS QUICKLY AS WE NORMALLY WOULD, BUT WE WILL GET TO YOU AND GET YOUR CLAIMS PAID. GOVERNOR REYNOLDS: THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE. THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM AT IOWA WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FOR ALL THAT THEY ARE DOING DAY IN AND DAY OUT TO ASSIST IOWAN DURING THIS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TIME. DURING THIS WEEK, WE HAVE SPENT TIME REVIEWING INFORMATION ABOUT THE REGIONAL MEDICAL COORDINATION CENTERS ESTABLISHED BY THE IOWA NATIONAL GUARD SUPPORT THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND OUR HEALTH CARE COALITIONS BY FACILITATING COMMUNICATION, INFORMATION SHARING, AND HEALTH CARE RESOURCES WITHIN A REGION. ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, I SHARED INFORMATION ABOUT THE RMCC’S IN EASTERN AND CENTRAL IOWA. TODAY, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE RNC SEE REGIONS IN WESTERN IOWA. REGION NUMBER THREE COVERS NORTHWEST IOWA. THIS REGION HAS NINE COUNTIES WITH NO POSITIVE COVID-19 CASES AND A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF COUNTIES WITH THREE OR LESS POSITIVE CASES. AS OF YESTERDAY IN REGION THREE, WE HAD ONE COVID-19 PATIENT THAT WAS HOSPITALIZED. NO NEW PATIENTS WERE ADMITTED IN THE LAST 24 HOURS. WE HAVE ONE THAT WAS IN THE ICU. WE HAVE 32 ICU BEDS AND 51 VENTILATORS AVAILABLE. NOW WE WILL MOVE TO RMCC REGION FOUR. YESTERDAY, THERE WERE FOUR COVID-19 PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED. NO NEW PATIENTS ADMITTED IN THE LAST 24 HOURS. THREE WERE IN ICU’S. ONE WAS ON A VENTILATOR. THERE ARE 39 ICU BEDS AND 58 VENTILATORS STILL AVAILABLE. YESTERDAY, WE HAD CALLS AND EMAILS FROM PEOPLE THAT WERE INTERESTED IN SEEING THE DATA FOR EASTERN IOWA. IN REGION FIVE, WHERE JOHNSON COUNTY IS LOCATED, THERE WERE 32 COVID-19 PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED AS OF YESTERDAY. SEVEN NEW PATIENTS WERE ADMITTED IN THE LAST 24 HOURS. 14 WERE IN ICUS. 11 WERE ON VENTILATORS. THERE WERE 702 INPATIENT BEDS, 93 ICU BEDS, AND 167 VENTILATORS AVAILABLE. REGION SIX, WHICH INCLUDES LINN COUNTY, WHERE AN OUTBREAK IN A LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY HAS RESULTED IN MANY ELDERLY ADULTS BECOMING SERIOUSLY ILL, YESTERDAY THERE WERE 48 COVID-19 PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED, FOUR NEW PATIENTS IN THE LAST FOUR HOURS, 32 PATIENTS AND ICUS, AND 17 WERE ON VENTILATORS. THERE ARE 1002 BEDS, 57 ICU BEDS, AND 519 VENTILATORS AVAILABLE. AS WE ARE SEEN ACROSS ALL RMCC REGIONS, I WAS CAPACITY TO CARE FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS ARE VERY GOOD AT THIS TIME. WE ARE MONITORING THIS INFORMATION DAILY, AND IF THE SITUATION CHANGES, WE ARE READY TO RESPOND. THE RMCC MODEL IS IN PLACE SO WE CAN FUNCTION AS ONE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM ACROSS THE STATE WORKING TOGETHER TO MANAGE OUR RESOURCES AND PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE CARE FOR IOWANS IN N EED. EVEN DURING THIS CHALLENGING TIME, THERE ARE SO MANY GOOD THINGS HAPPENING ACROSS OUR STATE. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE MANY IOWANS THAT ARE STEPPING UP TO ANSWER THE CALL DURING THIS TIME, ESPECIALLY THE BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS PRODUCING PPE ON A DAILY BASIS. THE IOWA PRISON INDUSTRIES HAVE NOW PRODUCED MORE THAN 25,000 LAST, $3000 -- 25,000 MASKS AND 3000 GOWNS. DISTRIBUTED TO HEALTH CARE AND LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES IN NEED. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO HOMELAND SECURITY, THE IOWA NATIONAL GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY FOR ENSURING THAT AS SOON AS THOSE PPES COME INTO THE STATE STOCKPILE, IT IS BEING DELIVERED TO WHERE IT IS NEEDED. THE STATE HAS MADE 353 DELIVERIES ACROSS ALL 99 COUNTIES. EVERY DAY IOWANS ARE ROLLING UP THEIR SLEEVES TO HELP. SHE CAN DONATE THEM TO LOCAL CARE CENTERS. HER HUSBAND IS A NURSE PRACTITIONER. SHE UNDERSTANDS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO PROTECT OUR HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE. TARA IS ALSO PREGNANT. WHEN SHE CANNOT SLEEP AT NIGHT, SHE GETS UP AND SEWS. SO FAR SHE HAS MADE 147 FACE MASKS AND HAS DONATED THEM ALL. THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND FOR EVERYTHING YOU ARE DOING DURING THIS TIME. IF YOU CAN SEW A FACEMASK FOR YOUR LOCAL HEALTH CARE AND LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES, THAT IS ONE WAY YOU CAN HELP THOSE ON THE FRONT LINES DURING THIS PANDEMIC. YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO MAKE THOSE MASKS O NLINE. WITH THAT, WE WILL OPEN IT FOR QUESTIONS. REPORTER:REPORTER: WE ARE HEARING NOW THAT THE NATIONAL STOCKPILE OF HIS BEING -- STOCKPILE IS BEING DEPLETED. IS THAT HAVING ANY EFFECT ON IOWA? GOVERNOR REYNOLDS: THAT IS WHY I AM CONTINUING TO HIGHLIGHT THE GREAT THINGS BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS ARE DOING IN OUR STATE. WE HAVE CONTINUED TO PLACE ORDERS. WE HAVE RECEIVED SOME. SOME ARE BEING DELAYED. THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR EVER SINGLE STATE ACROSS THIS COUNTRY. WE HAVE BEEN PROACTIVE. WE HAVE HAD ALL HANDS ON DECK, ALL OF THE UMBR THE ABOVE APPROACH. IOWANS ARE RESPONDING. WE HAVE TO DO THAT UNTIL WE CAN BUILD UP OUR STOCKPILES AT THE NATIONAL AND STATE LEVEL. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE WORKERS THAT ARE COORDINATING THESE EFFORTS. DAILY, WE GET SO MANY CALLS FROM INDIVIDUALS ASKING HOW CAN I HELP? WHO DO I TALK TO? I WANT TO STEP UP AND BE PART OF THAT. THAT IS ANYWHERE FROM INDIVIDUALS LIKE TARA TO BIGGER BUSINESSES THAT ARE REACHING OUT AND DIGGING DEEP AND HELPING PROTECT THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE STANDING ON THE FRONT LINE TO KEEP ALL OF US SAFE AND HEALTHY. REPORTER: DO WE HAVE ENOUGH EQUIPMENT? GOVERNOR REYNOLDS: PPE IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE AN ISSUE. WHERE MONITORING IT CAREFULLY. -- WE ARE MONITORING IT CAREFULLY. WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT. WE TALKABOUT PEOPLE WEARING FACE MASKS AND DOING ADDITIONAL STEPS TO PROTECT INDIVIDUALS. WE CANNOT LET UP. WE NEED TO DO OUR PART AND ANSWER THE CALL. REPORTER: QUESTION ABOUT THE POINT SCALE FOR DIFFERENT REGIONS, WHEN A REGION REACHES 10 ON THAT SCALE, IS THAT AN AUTOMATIC SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER FOR THAT REGION? GOVERNOR REYNOLDS: WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT. AS WE SEE SOME MOVE INTO A NINE, WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT ADDITIONAL STEPS NEED TO BE PUT IN PLACE TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUS TO MAKE SURE WE ARE FLATTENING THE CURVE AND THAT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN NOT TO OVERWHELM THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. WE HAVE A SERIES OF STEPS WE ARE LOOKING AT. WE ARE LOOKING AT IT FROM A REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE, VARIOUS COUNTIES AND COMMUNITIES. WE ARE COLLECTING ALL OF THAT DATA. WE REALLY CAN DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO BY IOWANS FOLLOWING THROUGH- WITH WHAT WE HAVE ASKED THEM TO DO. THAT IS HOW WE PROTECT EVERY IOWAN. STAY HOME. ONLY GO OUT FOR ESSENTIAL THINGS. IF YOU EXERCISE OUTSIDE, DO IT RESPONSIBLY. PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING. DON’T GATHER IN GROUPS LARGER THAN 10 PEOPLE. IF YOU ARE SICK, ISOLATE YOURSELF. IF SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY IS SICK, ISOLATE YOUR FAMILY. IF WE ALL DID DEEP AND PRACTICE AND DO WHAT WE HAVE ASKED YOU TO DO, WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE THE CURVE FLATTEN, WE WILL START TO SEE THE NUMBERS DROP, AND WE WILL START TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE DIAL-UP THIS ECONOMY AND OPEN THINGS UP AND SET OF HOW WE CLOSE THINGS DOWN. IF IOWANS WILL DO WHAT WE ASK YOU TO DO AND PROTECTING THOSE HEALTH CARE WORKERS THAT ARE ON THE FRONT LINE, FIRST RESPONDERS, PEOPLE IN GROCERY STORES, TRUCK DRIVERS, IF YOU DO YOUR PART TO PROTECT THEM, WE WILL GET THE RESULTS WE ARE LOOKING FOR AND START TO HAVE A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW WE OPEN THINGS UP. REPORTER: IF I HEARD YOU WRITE, YOU SAID WE HAVE 2530 THE TESTING CAPACITY AT THE STATE LAB. I THINK THAT IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN YOU HAVE SAID BEFORE. IN LIGHT OF THAT, ARE YOU NOW ABLE TO ALLOW TESTING FOR MORE PEOPLE? I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK HE SAID WE MIGHT GET -- YOU SAI SAD WE MIGHT BE GETTING MORE TESTING. GOVERNOR REYNOLDS: THAT IS HAPPENING BY THE NATIONAL LABS AND OTHER SOURCES. WE HAVE HOSPITALS THAT CAN ADMINISTER THE TESTS AND GET RESULTS RELATIVELY QUICKLY RATHER THAN GETTING THEM FROM NATIONAL LABS. AT THE STATE HYGIENIC LAB, WE CAN GET RESULTS IN ABOUT 24 HOURS. IT IS THE TIMELINESS OF IT. THE STATE HYGIENIC LAB DID GET THE 15 ABBOTT MACHINES WHERE WE CAN GET POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE IN FIVE MINUTES. I HAVE ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL TESTS. WE SHOULD BE GETTING THEM TO DAY SO WE CAN START TO TARGET SOME OF THESE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES. WE WILL B WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH TO SEE WHERE WE SHOULD BE UTILIZING THE MACHINES THAT CAN GET THE RESULTS IN FIVE MINUTES FAIRLY QUICKLY. WE ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING. THEY ARE ALSO DOING THIS AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, WAYS WE CAN DO ADDITIONAL TESTING AND BROUGHT IN THE -- AND BROADEN THE INFORMATION WE CAN USE. REPORTER: THE ADDITIONAL MACHINES YOU’RE ASKING FOR, WILL THAT BE IN IOWA CITY OR SPREAD AROUND? GOVERNOR REYNOLDS: THEY ARE MOBILE. THEY CAN GO TO DIFFERENT PLACES. THEY CAN CONDUCT THE TEST THERE. REPORTER: DO YOU KNOW WHERE THERE WILL BE? GOVERNOR REYNOLDS: THEY ARE COLLECTING THE METRICS. THEY ARE LOOKING AT THE DATA. THE METRICS THAT WE ARE COLLECTIN, WE CAN IDENTIFY WHERE THE HOTSPOTS ARE. DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW ELSE YOU CAN UTILIZE THEM? >> THE STATE HYGIENIC SLAB, THEY ARE LOOKING AT AREAS OF THE STATE WHERE WE THINK THESE MACHINES WILL BE MOST BENEFICIAL. ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE LOOKING AT IS LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES. IF WE HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT A LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY, THAT IS A PLACE WHERE WE COULD DEPLOY ONE OF THESE MACHINES, DO RAPID TESTING. IF THERE WAS A CONCERN ABOUT A PARTICULAR FACILITY, INSTEAD OF WAITING 24 HOURS TO GET A RESULT, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DEPLOY THEM. THAT IS THE WAY WE HAVE INITIALLY ENVISIONED USING THOSE MACHINES BECAUSE THERE APPEARED TO BE CONCERNS AND PARTICULAR AREAS. WE CAN GET INFORMATION QUICKLY ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THOSE AREAS. REPORTER: IF YOU HAVE THAT CAPABILITY, COULDN’T YOU START TESTING EVERYONE HAD A LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY WHEN A CASE OF COVID-19 ARISES? GOVERNOR REYNOLDS: EVENTUALLY HOPEFULLY WE WILL GET THERE. WE ARE NOT THERE YET. RIGHT NOW THERE IS A LIMITED NUMBER OF TESTS. WE HAVE MORE COMING IN TOMORROW. WE WILL CONTINUE TO REQUEST INCREASED TESTING MATERIAL SO THAT WE CAN DO THAT. TO SARAH’S POINT, GET THOSE WHERE WE NEED THEM. WE KNOW HOW CRITICAL IT IS TO IDENTIFY A POTENTIAL ISSUE IN THESE LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES. THE QUICKER WE CAN FIND OUT, ISOLATE, DO CONTACT TRACING TO IDENTIFY WHERE THE PROBLEMS MAY BE, THEY WILL BE USEFUL FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE. WE WILL BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THOSE EVEN MORE. REPORTER: HI, GOVERNOR. WE ARE WONDERING IF YOU ARE ENCOURAGING THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO WEAR FACE MASKS HERE IN IOWA? CAN YOU GIVE US AN UPDATED NUMBER FOR EACH REGION? GOVERNOR REYNOLDS: ON THE STATISTICS -- I FORGOT TO BRING THAT. SARAH WILL GIVE YOU THAT. I THINK SHE HAS IT IN THE BINDER. THAT IS A SECONDARY. WHAT WE ARE ENCOURAGING EVERY IOWAN TO DO WHEN THEY ARE OUT AND ABOUT, PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING. LIMIT YOUR TRIPS OUTSIDE OF THE HOME. IF YOU HAVE TO WORK OUTSIDE OF THE HOME, PRACTICE GOOD HYGIENE AND SOCIAL DISTANCING. HAVE THAT WITH YOU. IF YOU COME INTO CONTACT, IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO SOCIAL DISTANCE, YOU ARE ABLE TO PUT THE MASK ON. THE FIRST PRIORITY WOULD BE TO SOCIAL DISTANCE, ONLY GO OUT FOR ESSENTIAL SERVICES. PRACTICE GOOD HYGIENE AND SOCIAL DISTANCING. POTENTIALLY IF YOU CANNOT DO THAT, YOU HAVE A FACE MASK READY TO UTILIZE. THANK YOU, SARAH. REGION SIX IS AT AN 8. REGION FIVE IS AT A 9. REGION TWO IS AT A 7. REGION ONE IS 8. REGION THREE IS AT A 6. REGION FOUR IS AT A 6. REPORTER: GOVERNOR, I’M NOT SURE IF YOU WERE SARAH WOULD BE BEST FOR THIS. WE GOT CALLS ABOUT WILL WE BE DOING ANY KIND OF ANTIBODY TESTING IN THE STATE? WILL THAT BE THE METRIC TO DECIDE HOW FAST WE GET BACK TO NORMAL? GOVERNOR REYNOLDS: IT WILL BE REALLY IMPORTANT AS WE START TO TALK ABOUT DIALING THINGS UP AND BRINGING THE ECONOMY ONLINE. I WILL LET SARAH ANSWER THAT QUESTION. SARAH: THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. THAT IS SOMETHING WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT. IT GOES TO TESTING SUPPLIES. TESTING SUPPLIES ARE GOING TO BE NECESSARY SO WE CAN DO THAT SORT OF ANTIBODY TESTING. IT IS SOMETHING WE SEE A LOT OF PROMISE AS THE GOVERNOR TALKS ABOUT BEING ABLE TO REOPEN THINGS. THAT PRESENTS A POSSIBILITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ANALYZE PEOPLE WHO MGHT NOT HAVE BEEN TESTED WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN MILDLY ILL AND FOLLOWED OUR GUIDANCE. THAT ANTIBODY TESTING IS SOMETHING WE THINK IS PART OF THE FUTURE OF OUR RESPONSE TO THIS PARTICULAR PANDEMIC. WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE ABOUT THAT AND HAVING THE SUPPLIES BECOME AVAILABLE SO WE CAN START TO EMPLOY THAT IN OUR STATE. >> JAMES LYNCH OF THE CEDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE. JAMES: GOOD MORNING, GOVERNOR. LOOKING AHEAD TO THE JUNE 7 PRIMARY. THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS ENCOURAGING MAIL-IN VOTING. ARE YOU HEARING FROM ANY OF THE PARTIES OR CANDIDATES THAT THE ELECTION SHOULD BE POSTPONED OR CONDUCTED ENTIRELY BY MAIL? ARE YOU CONFIDENT VOTERS AND PULL WORKERS WILL BE SAFE AT IN PERSON VOTING? GOVERNOR REYNOLDS: I DON’T THINK THERE IS ANY NEED TO CANCEL THE JUNE PRIMARY. THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS BEEN PROACTIVE. I HAVE COMPLETE CONFIDENCE IN THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND LOCAL AUDITORS ACROSS THE STATE OF IOWA TO CONDUCT ELECTIONS WITH INTEGRITY AS THEY HAVE ALWAYS DONE. WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE DATA. WE ARE HOPING WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE THAT CONSISTENT FLATTENING OF THE CURVE. WE ARE HOPING WE CAN START TO SEE A DECLINE AFTER THAT PEAK. WE WILL TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN REOPEN. A LOT OF THE ORDERS I PUT IN PLACE GO THROUGH APRIL 30. HOPEFULLY BY THEN, WE WILL HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT THINGS LOOK LIKE. >> WE’RE GOING TO HEAR FROM NICK AT THE DES MOINES REGISTER. NICK: THANK YOU FOR THE TIME. YOU PREVIOUSLY CITED THE MATRIX AS A GUIDEPOST FOR MITIGATION EFFORTS AND WHEN THEY SHOULD BE RAMPED UP, NOW YOU ARE SAYING IT IS AN ELEMENT. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS YOU ARE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION ASIDE FROM THE MATRIX? IN REGARDS TO UNEMPLOYMENT, HAVE WE SEEN A SIMILAR SEARCH IN MEDICAID -- SURGE IN MEDICAID APPLICATIONS? GOVERNOR REYNOLDS: I THINK EVERYONE IS GETTING SO HUNG UP ON THE METRICS. LET’S GO BACK TO THE MAIN MESSAGE. STAY-AT-HOME. AVOID EXPOSURE. THAT IS HOW YOU CAN KEEP FROM GETTING EXPOSED. ONLY GO OUT FOR ESSENTIAL ERRANDS. GO OUT AND EXERCISE. DO IT RESPONSIBLY. PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING. DON’T GATHER IN GROUPS MORE THAN TEN. WORK FROM HOME IF YOU CAN. THAT IS WHAT IOWANS NEED TO BE FOCUSING ON. WE NEED YOU DOING THAT RIGHT NOW. WE NEED YOU DOING THAT TO NOT ONLY PROTECT OUR HEALTH CARE WORKERS, ARE MOST VULNERABLE IOWANS SO WE CAN FLATTEN THE CURVE AND NOT OVERWHELM THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. WHAT I WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO DO IS TO HELP ME ELEVATE THAT MESSAGE. HELP ME RAISE THE VOLUME. PRACTICE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH IS WHERE WE ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO SOCIAL DISTANCE AND DO THE RIGHT THING. IF WE DO THAT, THESE PRESS CONFERENCES CAN BE ABOUT HOW WE CAN START TO OPEN THINGS UP AND GET THIS STATE AND COUNTRY BACK TO NORMAL. LET’S FOCUS ON WHAT WE NEED TO BE GOING, WHAT WE CAN DO BY BEING INDIVIDUALLY RESPONSIBLE. WE ALL HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY. WE CAN CHANGE THE NARRATIVE. WE CAN FLATTEN THE CURVE. WE CAN DO THIS IF WE ALL DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO. LET’S FOCUS ON IT. >> TIME FOR TWO MORE QUESTIONS. LYNN AT IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH. LYNN: GOING BACK TO QUESTIONS ABOUT PPE, I WAS WONDERING IF THE STATE IS COMPETING FOR PPE AGAINST OTHER STATES AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? GOVERNOR REYNOLDS: WE ARE ALL OUT THERE PUTTING OUT CONTRACTS REQUESTING FOR PPE ON ALL DIFFERENT LEVELS. OUR INDIVIDUAL AGENCIES ARE DOING THAT. HOMELAND SECURITY IS DOING THAT. WE ARE ACCESSING THROUGH OUR STATE STOCKPILE, NATIONAL STOCKPILE. WE ARE REACHING OUT TO BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRY AND INDIVIDUALS. EVERYBODY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING HAS BEEN GOING THROUGH THE SAME PROCEDURES TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A SUFFICIENT PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE THAT ARE ON THE FRONT LINE. EVERYBODY IS DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN. WE ARE SHORT SUPPLY. IT IS A REALITY. WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN IN EVERY STATE ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE STANDING ON THE FRONT LINE, OUR HEROES DURING ALL OF THIS. >> ROD WILL GET THE LAST QUESTION. ROD: YES. THANK YOU, GOVERNOR. ON MARCH 29, THE EXPECTATION WAS THAT IOWA WOULD PEAK IN 2 OR 3 WEEKS. DOES IT LOOK LIKE THE PEAK IS COMING NEXT WEEK? DO YOU HAVE TO PUT THAT BACK? ONE PROJECTION PUTS THE PEAK AT APRIL 29. DOES THAT LOOK LIKELY? WOULD THAT CAUSE YOU TO PUSH BACK THE REOPENING OF BUSINESSES PAST APRIL 30. GOVERNOR REYNOLDS: WE ARE LOOKING AT IT EVERY DAY. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I GOT WAS WHEN ARE WE GOING TO INFORM SCHOOLS. WE WILL LOOK AT THAT TWO WEEKS OUT. WE ARE EVALUATING THE DATA EVERY SINGLE DAY. I WILL ASK SARAH TO TALK ABOUT THE POTENTIAL PEAK AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. SARAH: WITH ALL OF THE MITIGATION EFFORTS WE HAVE BEEN PUTTING IN PLACE AND ASKING ALL IOWANS TO DO, THE GOAL IS TO FLATTEN THE CURVE SO WE DON’T SEE A PEAK IN CASES. I CAN TELL YOU, WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT HER EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CURVE, IT IS STARTING TO FLATTEN. IT IS TIME TO CONTINUE TO DO THOSE THINGS SO WE DON’T MOVE IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. OUR PROJECTIONS HAVE NOT CHANGED. WE SAID LAST WEEK WAS GOING TO BE A WEEK WHERE WE CONTINUE TO SEE INCREASED CASE COUNTS. WE HAVE SAID THE SAME THING ABOUT THIS WEEK. WE CAN TELL YOU WE ARE STARTING TO SEE OUR CURVE FLATTEN OUT, WHICH IS WHERE WE WANT IT TO BE. THE REASON WE HAVE SEEN THAT IS BECAUSE IOWANS ARE DOING WHAT WE HAVE ASKED THEM TO DO, STAY HOME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. SOCIAL DISTANCE. LEAVE ONLY FOR ESSENTIALS. IF WE ALL CONTINUE TO DO THAT, HOPEFULLY WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE A FLAT CURVE. WE CAN GET TO THE POINT OF ANTIBODY TESTING AND TALKING ABOUT REDUCING SOME OF THE MITIGATION STRATEGIES SO WE CAN NORMAL. RIGHT NOW WHAT IOWANS HAVE BEEN DOING IS INCREDIBLY HELPFUL. WE WANT YOU TO CONTINUE TO DO ALL OF THOSE THINGS. GOVERNOR REYNOLDS: I COULD NOT HAVE SAID THAT BETTER MYSELF. THAT IS EXACTLY RIGHT. WE CAN DO THIS. IN CLOSING, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THIS HOLY TIME AS EASTER AND PASSOVER CELEBRATIONS BEGIN. I AM ASKING ALL IOWANS TO JOIN TOGETHER IN A DAY OF PRAYER FOR PROTECTION AND PEACE. THIS HAS BEEN A CHALLENGING TIME FOR ALL OF US. WITH GOD’S GRACE, THERE IS ALWAYS A PROMISE FOR HOPE. TODAY, I WILL BE PRAYING FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES, OUR HEALTH CARE WORKERS, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS FOR KEEPING OUR SUPPLY CHAIN UP AND RUNNING AND FOR THE STRENGTH OF OUR STATE. GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU. GOD BLESS THIS GREAT STATE OF IOWA. I PROM