As Governor Kim Reynolds finds herself in a similar predicament as tens of thousands of Iowans – potentially exposed to COVID-19 – she is holding herself to a different standard than the rest of the state. As Reynolds prioritizes frequent and rapid result testing for herself and her staff, frontline and essential workers around the state are experiencing a much different scene.
Testing backlogs and statewide shortages have left Iowa workers in the dark about the virus’ threat to their health and their community, as Iowa remains one of the hardest hit states in the country. Despite the growing public health risk, Reynolds is ordering Iowans back to work without a plan that includes guaranteed statewide testing or workplace protections.
A few questions for Governor Reynolds must clarify as Iowa workers look for answers to be able to safely return to work:
- Why is Test Iowa lagging far behind the 5,000 number of daily tests Reynolds promised, with hundreds of Iowans still waiting on Test Iowa results from over two weeks ago?
- Public officials, and workers across the state warn that they do not have adequate testing measures to safely re-open their communities. Does Governor Reynolds think it’s worth sacrificing the health of workers for them to re-open?
- Does Governor Reynolds worry that reopening without worker testing risks spreading the virus to vulnerable family members?