DES MOINES, Iowa ā Gov. Kim Reynolds announced that she is adhering to a āmodified quarantineā due to a staffer of Vice President Mike Pence testing positive for COVID-19 who was present during her visit to the White House.
During her press conference on Monday at the state emergency operations center in Johnston, Iowa, she noted while the vice presidentās staffer was present, the did not have contact with Reynolds during her visit.
Reynolds was also present during the vice presidentās trip to the Des Moines area on Friday. The White House, on Friday, did not reveal how much contact that staffer had with Pence.
Reynolds said she would follow a plan recommended by Dr. Anthony Fauci recommends.
āMy temperature will be taken before entering the building. Iāll be tested daily. I was tested this morning, and it was negative. And while here, Iāll practice social distancing and wear a mask when interacting with others, which will be minimal interaction,ā she announced.
āIf I begin experiencing any symptoms, of course, I will stay home. I spoke with my team over the weekend, and most will be working from home during this time, especially if they or a family member have health conditions that puts them at a higher risk. These steps are similar to what Iāve asked all Iowans to do if theyāve had contact with someone known to have the virus,ā Reynolds stated.
āAgain, while I didnāt have direct contact with the Vice Presidentās staff member, itās important that I do my part to protect those around me while continuing to serve as your governor during this critical time. I want to assure Iowans that Iām healthy and feeling good. And Iām fully focused on leading Iowaās response to the pandemic on our economic recovery efforts,ā she added.
Reynolds announced there could be some adjustments made to her teamās routine to accommodate this. She said that she plans to do some work from home, as well as keep interactions with her team at the State Emergency Center to a minimum.
Listen to the full press conference below: