WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — The following has been edited for clarity.
Local 5: Black Hawk County in eastern Iowa has seen a lot of new coronavirus cases over the past several weeks it's home to a meatpacking plant that is now shut down, because people there got the virus. Joining us now is Sheriff Tony Thompson to give us the latest snapshot on what's going on and share.
We know you've had a lot of concerns about what's going on in your community and the directives, the governor and the President that have been pushing to reopen our state. What are you seeing in your county that gives you concern about what's happening right now?
Sheriff Tony Thompson: Well, obviously, we're part of the 22 counties that that aren't being opened yet. So other than I'm not sure the metric that that qualifies churches to go ahead and open up and congregate. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me. But clearly, Black Hawk county has continue continuing its meteoric rise and in numbers right now, so so we're we're very concerned and Monitoring and staffing against
this continuation of victimization in my county and my citizens, that we still don't have a waning of yet.
So this is a this is one of those things that it's counter-intuitive for us at least I recognize that there's counties that have not been victimized the way we have, but we are certainly being run rampant over here. Your long term care facilities in the county, more than 1500 positive cases there people in the jail testing positive.
Local 5: Do you feel that the approach the state is taking right now with regard to Black Hawk County is the proper thing to be doing?
Sheriff Thompson: Well, again, the governor has to make a decision based on 99 counties and I and I completely understand the respect that if you're if you're asking specifically about Black Hawk County, certainly not. This is not right for us whatsoever. And the directors of the medical departments and the medical
centers here in Black Hawk County are advising our our facilities to continue to shelter to continue to remain close to continue to do everything that they can do to protect you know themselves and their families and and stay stay at home stay safe, where [personal protective equipment], when they go out for those essential critical items but otherwise to try and break this constant community spread that's occurring here in Black Hawk County.
But again, we recognize that there's there's concern out there about economy there's concern out there about standing back up businesses and it's not lost on me.
It's just frustrating that that we're continuing to have to pay for poor decisions that that initiated several weeks if not months ago, that that here we sit today. Unfortunately victims of of just bad corporate and bad personal decision.
Local 5: Even though some of the rules are being loosened up...are people in certain counties that are saying, well, we're not going to reopen? Because we don't think it's in the best interest of the people that live in our community? Do you feel like that's happening in Black Hawk county that that is the sentiment of a lot of people who live there?
Sheriff Thompson: I am praying that that's happening here in Black Hawk County. I think that's the wise decision. I think that's the safe play. Again, in our county, I lament simply because we should not be double what most of the rest of the counties in the state of Iowa we're like the fifth largest county by population, our citizens should not be at greater risk than anyplace else in the state of Iowa contracting COVID-19. That's not fair. It's not right. And I pray that's the sentiment for my citizens here. And I pray that the counties that touched us, that's the sentiment here, because again, where the population base, this is where the stores and the restaurants and the you know, the the big boxes and the grocery stores and all those places are for people to to get their sustainment.
And my fear is that as things start to loosen and things start to do become less restrictive. Obviously it's a beautiful day it's it's it's been seven eight weeks of restriction and human beings being who we are. We don't like being cooped up and I get all of that but this is not the time to to free ourselves up this is the time to buckle down and bear down and recognize we are in the middle of the of the hard part right now. And we're starting to get towards the the top of that of that peak. I think I pray I hope and so now more than ever, we need that perseverance.
Local 5: All right sheriff, we hope the best as well for all the residents you there and everybody in Black Hawk County is a beautiful part of the state. And we appreciate you taking some time to join us today. Thank you so much.
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