Iowa falls short of WHO guidelines for reopening

By Perry Beeman, Iowa Capital Dispatch
Posted 5/28/20

Iowa fails to meet the World Health Organization’s latest guidelines for reopening businesses and other facilities, Johns Hopkins University reported. 

States should have positive …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Iowa falls short of WHO guidelines for reopening

Posted

Iowa fails to meet the World Health Organization’s latest guidelines for reopening businesses and other facilities, Johns Hopkins University reported

States should have positive test rates of under 5% for two weeks before reopening, based on new World Health Organization recommendations, the university said on its national COVID-19 tracking site.

On Tuesday, that figure was 12.5% in Iowa. State records show the rate of positive cases has not been below 5% since mid-March. 

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds this week announced broader reopenings. However, all of her proclamations have come with limits — usually allowing only 50% capacity at places such as restaurants, and recommending social distancing and masks.

Johns Hopkins on Wednesday listed Iowa as one of 29 states not meeting the WHO guideline for reopening. Iowa’s overall positivity rate was 8.6%. That ranked 10th among states that failed to meet the guideline. 

Reynolds on Wednesday praised the state’s progress in testing more Iowans. As of Wednesday, the state reported 139,148 of Iowa’s 3.2 million residents had been tested. 

Tests falling short of goals

Reynolds told reporters that on Tuesday, 2,258 tests were completed through Test Iowa, “a new daily record.” Another 2,700 appointments had been made for Wednesday. 

“I’m really proud of the efforts to make testing available to Iowans where and when they need it,” Reynolds said.

The no-bid contract the state signed with Utah companies operating the program envisioned 3,000 tests a day. 

Reynolds waved a paper with an “A+” grade for Iowa from the COVID Tracking Project as reporters continued to ask about hot spots in various places, particularly northwest Iowa.

But the ongoing debate over testing took a backseat for a few minutes of Reynolds’ news conference when reporters pointedly asked why the state declines to let communities know when an outbreak occurs so people can protect themselves.

Health official: State will announce outbreaks when reporters ask about them

Reynolds was questioned about her comment the previous day that community outbreaks linked to a business would be announced when reporters ask about them. 

State epidemiologist Caitlin Pedati decided outbreaks would be declared if 10% of the employees at a facility tested positive. 

“That’s the determination that Dr. Pedati has made in terms of when it’s time to make an announcement that there has been an outbreak at a facility,” said Sarah Reisetter, deputy  director of the Iowa Department of Public Health. 

News director Kay Henderson of Radio Iowa noted at Wednesday’s news conference that an outbreak at Perdue Farms’ meat plant in Sioux Center was originally confirmed by the company May 11. But it wasn’t made public by the state until Henderson asked about it at Reynolds’ news conference Tuesday. 

In response, Reisetter said people who had been in contact with the workers were notified. 

“We have been announcing them at these press conferences as the questions have been asked,” Reisetter said before yielding the lectern back to Reynolds. 

The governor then suggested local county health officials could spread the word of an outbreak. “As questions arise, we’ve been able to address those at the press conferences,” the governor added without committing to making an announcement of future outbreaks. 

Reynolds was asked about spikes in Buena Vista and Wright counties. Buena Vista, which has Tyson plant in Storm Lake, saw a jump of 418 cases Tuesday and now has 678 total. 

The governor had Eagle Grove Mayor Sandy McGrath describe the Prestage Foods’ plants testing of workers there.

When a reporter asked if a food plant in Storm Lake had an outbreak, Reynolds replied, “We have not confirmed that yet.”

“I talked to Dr. Pedati this morning and about (Buena Vista) and Wright, and she continues to be fine with what we are seeing, but we are continuing to monitor them,” Reynolds said. “We are continuing to see (the coronavirus) move west.”

Wright County’s case total has been rising since May 20, when the county gained 40, for a current total of 124.

COVID-19 cases at meat plants and nursing homes have been among the biggest concentrations since the pandemic started. News of the Sioux Center situation spread when Perdue Farms’ CEO made a video announcement of outbreaks at the ag giant’s plants in Sioux Center and Sioux City. 

The governor added that she has asked for an extension of federal funding that would allow 150 National Guard soldiers to continue to help with contact tracing through July 1. She noted that nearly a dozen drive-up test sites continue, and the state has worked with community facilities and nursing homes to meet requirements. 

A team was in Bremer County Wednesday to test up to 1,100 employees of long-term care facilities, she added.

The Iowa health department as of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday was reporting: 

  • 114 new COVID cases on Wednesday, and 550 on Tuesday
  • One death on Wednesday, and seven on Tuesday
  • 18,360 total cases
  • 490 total deaths

Senior reporter Perry Beeman has nearly 40 years of experience in Iowa journalism and has won national awards for environmental and business writing.