IOWA (IRN) – More than 1,600 workers at four Iowa meatpacking plants have been infected with the coronavirus, state health officials reported Tuesday. The worst-hit factory is the Tyson pork processing plant in Perry, where 730 workers tested positive for the virus. That means that 58% of the workers who were tested at the plant had the virus. The plant in Waterloo had 444 workers test positive, Columbus Junction had 221 workers test positive, and at the Iowa Premium Beef plant in Tama, 258 workers tested positive.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Public Health released new statistics on COVID-19 in Iowa Wednesday. IDPH reported 293 new cases and 12 deaths. That brings the statewide total to 10,404 cases and 219 deaths.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Gov. Kim Reynolds will fly to Washington, D.C. today for a meeting at the White House. Reynolds said during her daily COVID-19 news conference yesterday that she is one of several governors given the opportunity to speak with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence about their state’s COVID-19 outbreak.

IOWA (IRN) – The Federal Cares Act included funding for state and local governments to offset costs and tax revenue lost from COVID-19, but only cities with more than 500,000 people got help. That means no cities in Iowa qualified for funding. The mayors of Dubuque, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Ankeny, West Des Moines, and Davenport joined forces to write a letter to Congress urging it to include funding for cities of all sizes. Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart said his city is looking at a potential $50 million hit, and he feels like Congress is forgetting about small cities and towns.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Vice President Pence will visit Des Moines on Friday to encourage faith leaders to reopen religious institutions under social distancing guidelines. Pence will also hold a roundtable at Hy-Vee Headquarters with agricultural and food supply leaders before returning to Washington, D.C.