Coronavirus Coronavirus: In-Iowa General Discussion (Not Limited)

[cowgirl836]

And just from a transmission standpoint WTF in their right mind would put opening gyms back up in phase 1?

our extension of the stay at home does have some light lifting of restrictions like allowing some exterior work, some non-essentials to do mailings, curbside pickup, and such. Not gyms though. So it sucks to have it extended but it's nice to have some little things come back.

 

[BCClone]

I'm not a fan of Kim nor do I think that she has handled this well either but let me play devils advocate for a second. Maybe I'm overestimating her critical thinking skills here but what if she doesn't want to be lumped in with states like IL, MI and OH because she's afraid they are going to be pressured into opening up too soon and doesn't want to be handcuffed to them?

I will say I have no idea why people on here are saying we need to join with Illiniois, MI, or Ohio as their responses have not been good to this point.

 

[nfrine]

Longer read but food for thought...
https://charleseisenstein.org/essays/the-coronation/

 

[cy4life94]

I'm not a fan of Kim nor do I think that she has handled this well either but let me play devils advocate for a second. Maybe I'm overestimating her critical thinking skills here but what if she doesn't want to be lumped in with states like IL, MI and OH because she's afraid they are going to be pressured into opening up too soon and doesn't want to be handcuffed to them?

She’s either playing 4D chess, or she’s playing checkers.

I’ll let you guys decide for yourself which one you think is more realistic.

 

[FOREVERTRUE]

Gosh, how could they have possibly known that those infected workers would spread the virus to others.

Even more astonishing is that taking workers from those plants and transferring them to another plant with no quarantine time could lead to other infections.

Wow your reading comprehension is bad. Yes Tyson and Smithfield should have known they frankly were completely incompetent, but how would everyone, besides those working there have known for 2 weeks that they were going to be such dumb asses?

You are just looking for people to argue with all the time and for some reason I set you off today, I don't know why but go take it somewhere else.

 

[Cat Stevens]

Wow your reading comprehension is bad. Yes Tyson and Smithfield should have known they frankly were completely incompetent, but how would everyone, besides those working there have known for 2 weeks that they were going to be such dumb asses?

You are just looking for people to argue with all the time and for some reason I set you off today, I don't know why but go take it somewhere else.

I actually have friends back in Iowa that work there. One is showing symptoms They purposely did not disclose any information to their employees. It was purposeful.

What they have done to these people is criminal.

and they surely are not alone.

 

[knowlesjam]

I will say I have no idea why people on here are saying we need to join with Illiniois, MI, or Ohio as their responses have not been good to this point.

We have no context on what the discussion was here. Obviously Illinois is an absolute **** show with respect to their budget and the gov there is under immense pressure to open things as quickly as possible. They were $8 billion short in making payments before this even happened. Minnesota has been doing well, but this is coming at a time when they really haven't entered outdoor rec season...that starts Mother's Day week-end, the traditional start of the fishing season. Pressure to open will go up at that point...

At the very least, Kim and the neighboring govs (Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakota's should start up their own consortium...or is that expecting too much.

 

[Trice]

I don't know anyone in their right mind that would have thought that a company like this would shut down one plant and send all the workers to another. I guess it could just be me, but Tyson and Smithfield handled this horribly.

These are essential jobs. The companies need to think of ways to mitigate the spread of the virus, yes. We have just finally been able to get our hands on enough masks for employees, but up until a couple days ago we were allowing people to bring their own masks whether cloth or otherwise, because we couldn't get any. Some employees can't be separated because of the layout of the equipment in the facility and slowing down won't help, we have put barriers between employees in these locations. We are going to start taking everyone's temperatures when coming into work within the next week (this is not an easy undertaking and things need shifted and trailers for outside staffed 24hr need to be put in place.

Frankly many companies are trying their best to continue to serve the consumers and trying to make it as safe as possible for their employees and yes Tyson and Smithfield screwed the pooch, but being able to predict that for weeks without knowledge of what is going on within the plants is ridiculous.

Not only is it not ridiculous, it's entirely predictable. How would anyone think this was going to end any other way, in a situation where people work side by side all day long, if nobody made any modifications to the way they do business?

I realize these jobs need to be done, and I realize it isn't easy to make major changes. But to act as if there were no other choice but to simply chug along as normal and pray nobody got infected shows a lack of planning - and possibly motives much worse than that.

 

[bawbie]

Here's the full document rather than just a few screenshots. There are several steps that must be taken prior to jumping into the opening phases. Yes, testing and tracing are part of those steps.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/read-guidelines-for-opening-america/index.html

Thanks, I hadn't seen that yet.

where does it mention testing and tracing?

I see that the opening criteria - I assume to go to Phase 1 - is a "Downward trajectory" over 14 days for both symptoms and tests. And it mentions robust testing of front line workers.

but I don't see anything about testing or tracing the general public

 

[CloniesForLife]

I will say I have no idea why people on here are saying we need to join with Illiniois, MI, or Ohio as their responses have not been good to this point.

Isn't it about sharing resources/ideas and improving efficiencies by having more involved? I don't think it means doing exactly what everyone else is doing.

 

[ISUAgronomist]

Thanks, I hadn't seen that yet.

where does it mention testing and tracing?

I see that the opening criteria - I assume to go to Phase 1 - is a "Downward trajectory" over 14 days for both symptoms and tests. And it mentions robust testing of front line workers.

but I don't see anything about testing or tracing the general public

The next page. "Core State Preparedness Responsibility"

"Ability to quickly set up safe and efficient screening and testing sites for symptomatic individuals and trace contacts of COVID+ results"

2 additional point related to testing/tracing

 

[Trice]

I'm not a fan of Kim nor do I think that she has handled this well either but let me play devils advocate for a second. Maybe I'm overestimating her critical thinking skills here but what if she doesn't want to be lumped in with states like IL, MI and OH because she's afraid they are going to be pressured into opening up too soon and doesn't want to be handcuffed to them?

Yeah...that's not it.

I think the opposite is much more likely true: Reynolds didn't join these other states when invited is that she knew there would be no way we can keep up. We might end up looking good when compared to South Dakota but Illinois, Wisconsin, and others seem likely to leave us in the dust.

I don't think that's really the reason either, but I think it's the more likely of the two ideas. I think what this is really about is her base instinct to latch on to her closest political allies.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

IL, OH, WI, etc are also very different economies than Iowa. It's probably in our best interest to be with more ag based and lower population center states.

 

[madguy30]

Here's a question I have. How many businesses are closed that aren't stores or restaurants?

They keep saying that they need to get people back to work. Well, it seems like most people in Iowa (at least) are either working from home or work in stores and restaurants. So does getting people back to work mean opening all of the restaurants? When they are telling us that we should wear face masks in public?

I'd also like to know how many are still working, and are financially stable/secure, and if they'd be willing to donate to a funding for those small businesses and employees to keep them afloat.

There's more to it because of production and food supply, etc., but would they be willing to help out if they're concerned with job losses?

 

[BCClone]

Isn't it about sharing resources/ideas and improving efficiencies by having more involved? I don't think it means doing exactly what everyone else is doing.

Yes and no to a point. If you enter into group to share resources and efficiencies, you will end up doing what most of them do since you will kinda be in a majority decision situation. Best to find a good horse to hook your wagon to not a horse that wanders in circles. Just belonging to a group so you belong is sometimes worse than being a lone wolf.

 

[ljm4cy]

The packing plant situation is a mess and should have been handled differently because it is most likely going to get even messier.

My question is forward looking, what should be done about the packing plants right now? Also what do you do about the livestock that is coming down the pipe? Looking for actual discussion on this. Figure it is a situation we see that hasn't played out that people can place what their plans would be and how they would solve these situations. Easy to look in the rear view mirror and say what you would have done, but now you have to say what you will do.

I think Reynolds should start by quit being an apologist for business. She needs to state in a matter-of-fact way that too many employers are abusing the "essential worker" loophole. Anyone that can WFH should have been for the past month. No throwing the responsibility to the individual worker - the individual has little protection.

She has let the packing plants and factory management have their way. It is time for consequences. Strictly enforce health and labor laws and standards. Whistleblower protection.

I'd contact Minnesota and find out what they are doing regarding the packing plants at Worthington and Austin. She needs to swallow her pride and seek assistance from states that are ahead of Iowa in this pandemic. She needs to avoid making the same mistakes that others have made, such as the SD packing plant. These are things I would like to see our governor do.

However, ultimate responsibility for the livestock issue lies with the livestock industry. The ag industries has been given free license to consolidate by both the federal and state governments and by both political parties. To suggest a lay person to solve these problems is unreasonable.

 

[NEPatriotscy]

I'm not a fan of Kim nor do I think that she has handled this well either but let me play devils advocate for a second. Maybe I'm overestimating her critical thinking skills here but what if she doesn't want to be lumped in with states like IL, MI and OH because she's afraid they are going to be pressured into opening up too soon and doesn't want to be handcuffed to them?

I think you are overestimating her critical thinking. I very much doubt the consortium is going to be pressured into opening up too soon. They have strong leadership. If anything, it is states like IA, ND, SD, and MO that will be pressured into opening up too soon.

 

[MartyFine]

Here's the full document rather than just a few screenshots. There are several steps that must be taken prior to jumping into the opening phases. Yes, testing and tracing are part of those steps.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/politics/read-guidelines-for-opening-america/index.html

Is the federal government going to provide the states with anything that is required to reopen? And if so, why is that not mentioned in the document?

 

[BCClone]

I think Reynolds should start by quit being an apologist for business. She needs to state in a matter-of-fact way that too many employers are abusing the "essential worker" loophole. Anyone that can WFH should have been for the past month. No throwing the responsibility to the individual worker - the individual has little protection.

She has let the packing plants and factory management have their way. It is time for consequences. Strictly enforce health and labor laws and standards. Whistleblower protection.

I'd contact Minnesota and find out what they are doing regarding the packing plants at Worthington and Austin. She needs to swallow her pride and seek assistance from states that are ahead of Iowa in this pandemic. She needs to avoid making the same mistakes that others have made, such as the SD packing plant. These are things I would like to see our governor do.

However, ultimate responsibility for the livestock issue lies with the livestock industry. The ag industries has been given free license to consolidate by both the federal and state governments and by both political parties. To suggest a lay person to solve these problems is unreasonable.

O....k..., so you just say don't do what we did and that the farmers and Ag industry should be blamed? Not really any solution to the current packing problem or the pipeline situation.

 

[yowza]

Wait..................there is a virus going around ..........................what?

I think Reynolds should start by quit being an apologist for business. She needs to state in a matter-of-fact way that too many employers are abusing the "essential worker" loophole. Anyone that can WFH should have been for the past month. No throwing the responsibility to the individual worker - the individual has little protection.

She has let the packing plants and factory management have their way. It is time for consequences. Strictly enforce health and labor laws and standards. Whistleblower protection.

I'd contact Minnesota and find out what they are doing regarding the packing plants at Worthington and Austin. She needs to swallow her pride and seek assistance from states that are ahead of Iowa in this pandemic. She needs to avoid making the same mistakes that others have made, such as the SD packing plant. These are things I would like to see our governor do.

However, ultimate responsibility for the livestock issue lies with the livestock industry. The ag industries has been given free license to consolidate by both the federal and state governments and by both political parties. To suggest a lay person to solve these problems is unreasonable.

You know in the 1800s into the 1900s people raised and butchered their own to eat. The plants came about to serve the city demand.