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Iowa Republicans will hold county conventions tomorrow, but the Iowa Democratic Party has postponed its county conventions which were to be held later this month.
Republican Party leaders say they consulted with state public health officials and the governor’s office and decided to move forward with county conventions this weekend, but a spokesman for the party says they “strongly advise” Republicans who don’t feel well to stay home.
Iowa Democrats, meanwhile, say their county conventions on March 21 are postponed until a future date to be determined.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has signed a state of emergency order, out of precaution because of the pandemic, and K-12 schools will be closed beginning Monday.
Noem made the move midday today, as news broke of one new presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in McCook County, according to the state Department of Health website.
At a press conference, Noem said schools should use this time to "clean their facilities and prepare for the following week."
Nebraska's largest school district is joining others in closing buildings to reduce the risk of a coronavirus outbreak.
Omaha Public Schools officials said the district will close its schools next week but will provide students with work-at-home packets and online instruction for the week. The district's more than 53,000 students were off this week for the regularly-scheduled spring break.
The Siouxland Chamber of Commerce on Thursday canceled or postponed all its public events for the "foreseeable future" due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.
The move affects public events for the Chamber, as well as The Siouxland Initiative and the Dakota Valley Business Council.
