It could happen as early as this afternoon…action in the U.S. Senate to add funding to the Paycheck Protection Program…I asked U.S. Senator Charles Grassley yesterday if the bill is clean and free from add-on projects; he said it was at that point. You can hear the full interview with Sen. Grassley on KXEL Live & Local…the program begins at 9 o’clock this morning.
The Iowa Department of Public Health announced on Monday an additional 257 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Iowa and four more deaths. Those increases bring the totals to 3,159 cases and 79 deaths in the state. There were two deaths since the day before in Linn County, one in Black Hawk County and one in Mahaska County. In total, 82 counties in Iowa have cases of COVID-19.
At yesterday’s Linn County emergency management briefing, Heather Meador of Linn County Public Heath noted that 109 staff and residents at Heritage Specialty Care have tested positive for COVID-19…and that 20 residents have died. 34 others are considered recovered. Meanwhile, she noted 18 staff and residents at Linn Manor Care Center in Marion had tested positive for COVID-19…and 4 residents there have died.
Gov. Kim Reynolds said yesterday that Iowa’s meatpacking plants will stay open, warning that shutting them down would be devastating for farmers and the food supply. Reynolds acknowledged at a news conference that the virus spreads quickly and easily at the plants because so many workers are in close proximity. She warned that closing the plants would mean farmers would have to euthanize animals scheduled to be sold to plants and the price of food would skyrocket.
Some $19 billion has been approved to benefit agriculture…that was announced last Friday. Yesterday, U.S. ag secretary Sonny Perdue told me live on KXEL about the distribution of those funds, including $16 billion in direct payments to producers. You can hear the full interview with U.S. ag secretary Sonny Perdue in the 10 o’clock hour of KXEL Live & Local today.
Organizers for RAGBRAI on Monday announced the ride for 2020 will be canceled due to COVID-19. The 48th annual ride had been scheduled for July 19th through the 25th. According to the organization’s website, the ride will be postponed until July 25 to July 31, 2021…including an overnight stop in Waterloo on July 28…as the route next year will be the one that was originally to be used this year. Organizers of the new Iowa’s Ride, however, say it’s still too early to make a decision about whether to cancel their inaugural ride scheduled for this summer.
An on-duty Linn County sheriff’s deputy working at the Linn County Correctional Center has tested positive for the new coronavirus. The sheriff’s office said in a news release yesterday that the deputy showed up for work at the center on Thursday evening symptom-free, but left work near the end of his shift when he began displaying symptoms, including a high fever, and was tested. He is to remain in self-isolation until he meets guidelines for returning to work. The sheriff’s office says the deputy did not expose any inmates to the virus, but that 11 coworkers were exposed. The sheriff’s office says those coworkers will continue to report for duty as long as they remain asymptomatic.
Law enforcement officials are investigating after a man was shot and killed on the south side of Iowa City on Monday morning. It happened just before 10 a.m. when police received a report of a person who had suffered a gunshot wound at 1960 Broadway Street. Police located a man in one of the apartments at that address who had been shot and later died from the wounds. He was identified as 21-year-old Kejaun Winters of Iowa City. Police are considering the incident a homicide.
Camp Courageous has canceled all 2020 summer camping sessions because of coronavirus concerns. Sessions beginning May 24 through August 14 are canceled. Charlie Becker of Camp Courageous says the decision was made in the interest of safety for all campers, staff and volunteers. Camp Courageous encourages the public to continue to check the camp’s website www.campcourageous.org for further updates and information.
UnityPoint Clinic has transitioned part of its family medicine clinic in Toledo to a respiratory illness clinic. The clinic, at 1307 S. Broadway St. in Toledo, will be dedicated to the triage and treatment of patients with respiratory illnesses, and will be open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tama County has experienced an outbreak due in large part to the meat packing plant in Tama. Patients should still call ahead before coming to the clinic.
