Statewide Iowa — Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds says the state is “shifting strategies” and entering a new phase in the COVID-19 pandemic.
(As above) “You know, Iowans can be proud of what we’re doing,” Reynolds says. “You should be proud of what we’re doing. We are leading and we’re leading by example and we’re going to continue to lead.”
Early efforts were aimed at preserving protective equipment and ensuring hospitals had the capacity to care for COVID-19 patients, according to Reynolds. Reynolds says the state now has more testing capacity and 150 Iowa National Guard soldiers joining local efforts to track down people who may have been exposed to the virus. Reynolds says with “hot spots” around the state identified, she’s making prudent decisions about lifting closure orders and allowing businesses to reopen, at limited capacity.
(As above) “It’s not perfect,” Reynolds says, “but I think we’re doing everything we can to really take care of Iowans in a responsible way, but also to get this economy up and going so Iowans can get back to work and we can do everything we can to get somewhat back to normal.”
The state website with COVID-19 test data has been revamped. It shows a dozen more Iowans have died of the virus and 655 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified through test results reported to the state.
