DES MOINES, Iowa — As the number of coronavirus, or CoVid 19, cases continues to rise across the globe, Iowa's leaders are meeting every day to discuss how the state is preparing for the worst. Gov. Kim Reynolds told Local 5 on Wednesday that she's confident Iowa's health professionals are prepared.
"I met with my team, the Department of Public Health and Homeland Security and Emergency Management...they have an incident management team to address the corona virus," said Reynolds. "So they are getting information twice daily from the administration so that we understand what's happening across the country and really around the world."
Reynolds said that this team of health officials is in constant contact as a team and they have plans in place. She credited the preparedness to what was set up during the Ebola crisis a few years ago.
"And so we are in a pretty good place to address the current virus as well. Now we had people who self-reported, so I think so that tells me that people are aware of what's happening," said Reynolds. "They're taking it very seriously. They turned out to be they tested negative so they were fine..."
Reynolds said that she is meeting with the health officials team on Monday to get an update. Iowa officials are now recommending all Iowa health care facilities should implement screening procedures before or at patient check-in.
On Wednesday, state health officials briefed Iowa lawmakers about the latest developments of the virus and how the state is communicating with health professionals.
Wednesday afternoon, President Trump will host a press conference with new information about how the United States is preparing for the coronavirus. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control warned the public that the disease is quickly spreading, and that "it's not a matter of if, but when" it will arrive in the U.S.
Trump and members of his administration have been sending mixed signals about the virus. While the CDC has warned the public to prepare for a coronavirus outbreak, Trump said Tuesday that the situation is "very well under control in our country." The administration has asked Congress for an additional $2.5 billion to speed development of a vaccine, but officials say any vaccine is well over a year away.
The CDC has been posting information every day about the virus and its warning signs.
The coronavirus has now been confirmed in Italy and Iran. According to the Associated Press, most airlines have already stopped flying to China, and now Delta Air Lines is sharply cutting back on flights between the U.S. and Seoul, South Korea, because of the outbreak. Delta said Wednesday it will suspend flights between Minneapolis and Seoul beginning this weekend and lasting until at least April 30.
45 countries have now reported confirmed cases of the coronavirus within their borders, including Georgia, Lebanaon, Pakistan, and Sweden, among others.
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