DES MOINES, Neb. (KMTV) — On Thursday, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds held a coronavirus briefing.
The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) says businesses are not legally required to report if there is a coronavirus outbreak at its facilities.
When a reporter asked why businesses aren't required to report outbreaks, and why the governor is not directly sharing information on businesses that have outbreaks, she said it's a matter of balancing the privacy of individuals and the public health impact.
The IDPH said their job is to work with the businesses to provide support and guidance on how to prevent and detect outbreaks and what to do when that happens.
The latest outbreak we're learning about is at a Tyson plant in Storm Lake Iowa. The town is in Buena Vista County, which has seen its coronavirus numbers double in two days.
After reporters pushed hard yesterday, today, the governor said more than 500 of the 2,500 employees at this plant tested positive.
The latest numbers out of Iowa:
- More than 15 new deaths have been reported for a total of 503 in the state to date
- More than 18,500 people have tested positive for the virus
- More than half of those people are listed as recovered
While businesses are not required to report outbreaks, the IDPH says health providers are required to report when someone tests positive for the virus. From there, a contact tracer reaches out to someone who has tested positive and they ask that person questions like who they've interacted with and where they work.
3 News Now This Morning Anchor Courtney Johns provided live updates via Twitter:
The Dep Director of IDPH says employers are not required by law to report outbreaks of coronavirus. #coronavirus
— Courtney Johns (@CourtneyJohnsTV) May 28, 2020
She says they will only share info on outbreaks if the environment is high risk for coroanvirus spread.
— Courtney Johns (@CourtneyJohnsTV) May 28, 2020
She says they will only share info on outbreaks if the environment is high risk for coroanvirus spread.
— Courtney Johns (@CourtneyJohnsTV) May 28, 2020
In two days the number of coronavirus cases in Buena Vista County, IA have doubled. There are now 701 confirmed cases. The county has a population of 20,000. #coronavirus
— Courtney Johns (@CourtneyJohnsTV) May 28, 2020
Watch below.
You can find all our coronavirus coverage, including an exposure-site map, here