Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds taking extra precautions, state epidemiologist quarantining after potential coronavirus exposure at White House

Des Moines Register

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is taking extra precautions, including a "modified quarantine plan," after an aide to Vice President Mike Pence tested positive for the coronavirus late last week.

Reynolds and the state epidemiologist, Dr. Caitlin Pedati, visited the White House last week for a meeting in the Oval Office with Pence and President Donald Trump. Two days later, Pence's press secretary, Katie Miller, tested positive for coronavirus.

Reynolds said at a news conference Monday morning that Miller was present during that trip, though she said she had no "direct contact" with her. Reynolds said she has no symptoms and feels healthy.

"Out of an abundance of caution, I will follow a modified quarantine plan, similar to what Dr. (Anthony) Fauci and other White House administration members have announced that they're doing," she said.

Pedati said in a statement that she will quarantine at home and regularly check her temperature and monitor herself for symptoms. She said she will follow public health guidance for any necessary in-person meetings or events.

Otherwise, she plans to work from home. If she does develop COVID-19 symptoms, Pedati said in the statement she'll consult her personal health care provider for guidance as well as fill out the Test Iowa assessment "so that I can do my part in helping understand and stop the spread of COVID-19 in our state."

Iowa Department of Public Health spokesperson Amy McCoy wrote in an email that Pedati and Reynolds each were in contact and proximity with different people during the meetings with White House officials.

Reynolds said she was tested for the coronavirus Monday and received a negative result in about 10 minutes. She said she will be checking her temperature throughout the day and will be tested daily.

She will also be wearing a mask when interacting with other people, practice social distancing, working from home when she's able and "really minimize my interactions with the team members that are out here."

Most of Reynolds' staff members — particularly those with conditions putting them at higher risk or who live with higher-risk individuals — will be working from home, she said.

Reynolds' news conferences previously had been open to pool reporters and photographers, but Monday's was held only through a dial-in conference line and video livestream.

The White House confirmed Friday that Miller had tested positive for the coronavirus. That news delayed Pence's departure from Washington, D.C., to Des Moines as six people who had been in contact with her disembarked from Air Force Two to be tested. According to the White House, all six tested negative.

Pence flew with U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst to Des Moines, and the group met Reynolds on the airport tarmac. None wore masks as they attended meetings with religious leaders and leaders of the state's food supply industry.

"I did have a face-covering with me, but we practiced social-distancing the entire time," Reynolds said Monday.

Spokesmen for Grassley and Ernst said that neither senator has been advised to self-isolate, and neither is planning to do so. On Friday, they said the senators had been tested for the coronavirus before boarding Air Force Two with the vice president.

► More Friday:Mike Pence praises Iowa's steps to reopen during surreal trip delayed by staffer's positive COVID-19 test

► More Monday:White House adopts new safety precautions as coronavirus moves closer to Trump's inner circle

The Associated Press and Bloomberg News reported Sunday that Pence was self-isolating after his press secretary tested positive for the virus Friday. However, Pence's office has denied those reports.

“Vice President Pence will continue to follow the advice of the White House Medical Unit and is not in quarantine," Pence spokesman Devin O’Malley said. "Additionally, Vice President Pence has tested negative every single day and plans to be at the White House (Monday)."

However, the White House will increase safety precautions, including regular deep cleanings and daily testing for Pence, Trump and the staff members who are in close proximity to them.

Reynolds' increased precautions come as she moves to ease restrictions on businesses and social gatherings in much of the state, and as she teased more restrictions possible being lifted later this week.

She encouraged personal responsibility, and cited increased testing and upcoming testing to determine if people have identified antibodies to the virus as positives as Iowans to return to work.

"The same recommendations apply that have since the very beginning of this," Reynolds said. "We could never guarantee Iowans wouldn't get it."

The Iowa Department of Workforce Development allows limited criteria for employees to refuse to return to work over coronavirus concerns and still qualify for unemployment benefits. The worker must have been infected with coronavirus, have a household member who has been, fall into a higher-risk category for contracting COVID-19, or have a household member who fits that criteria and be advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the coronavirus.

The Test Iowa tests, part of a $26 million no-bid contract Reynolds entered into with a collective of Utah-based companies in April, still have not been validated and the state is still not at its 5,000 tests-per-day goal, Reynolds said Monday. Each benchmark should be nearing, though Reynolds did not give a timeframe for them Monday.

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.

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