(Radio Iowa) — New data from the hospitality industry indicates total revenue for Iowa bar and restaurant owners has declined 80 percent since the governor ordered their businesses to close March 17th to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Iowa Restaurant Association president and C-E-O Jessica Dunker says the industry is absolutely in crisis.

“If we reopen on May 1st, as we expect, 10 percent won’t open. If that moves to June 1st, we’re expecting 18 percent not to open,” Dunker says. “And if that’s pushed out to July 1st, we expect 25 percent will not reopen.” The governor’s CURRENT proclamation on bar and restaurant closures is set to expire April 30th and Reynolds has not yet indicated if that may be extended. Carry-out and drive thru food and beverage service has been allowed — including carry-out sales of alcoholic beverages, but Dunker says 70 percent of the state’s bars are completely closed.

“If we were to reopen today, only 45 percent of our restaurants and bars would be able to rehire everyone that they have furloughed,” Dunker says. “Over 90 percent of our bars and restaurants have furloughed people and the unemployment claims in our sector are tremendous.” About 40-thousand of the Iowans who’ve filed for unemployment had jobs in Iowa resturants and bars. Dunker says part-timers aren’t counted in that tally — so the total number of laid off workers from the industry is approaching 75-thousand.

“We’re just continuing to be hopeful with social distancing, we might be able to have some level of openings May 1st,” Dunker says. Dunker’s organization is lobbying FEDERAL officials for changes in the “Paycheck Protection Program” which turns the LOAN into a GRANT if the business uses the money on payroll. Dunker says that’s just unrealistic for bars and restaurants that were ordered to close.

“And so while restaurants and bars will have the ability to apply for those PPP loans, we won’t get them forgiven,” Dunker says. “We are going to be taking on debt as an industry in a time when we are least able to repay it.” Dunker made her comments during a weekend appearance on the “Iowa Press” program on Iowa P-B-S. According to the Restaurant Association’s website, there were nearly 63-hundred restaurants and drinking establishments operating in Iowa before the closures ordered on St. Patrick’s Day.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — State health officials say the number of cases of coronavirus in Iowa increased more than 15% on Sunday to 2,902. The Iowa Department of Public Health said Sunday that 389 additional cases of COVID-19 and one additional death related to the virus had been confirmed. The state has now reported 75 deaths linked to the virus. The person who died was an adult between the ages of 61 and 80 from Muscatine County. For most people, coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks. For some people, the virus can cause more severe illness and death.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Across an arc of vital swing states, the coronavirus has put politics on an uneasy pause. Political fights are raging among state leaders from Iowa to Pennsylvania over the handling of the pandemic’s impact. Protecting public health versus restarting the economy, along with arguments about the limits of executive authority, have taken the place of the national political debate that’s typical of presidential campaigns at this point. Meanwhile, presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden has built little campaign structure across the region. President Donald Trump is relying on state GOP headquarters for his operations, though they too have been largely empty.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — More than a dozen Iowa elected officials implored Tyson Fresh Meats to close their Waterloo pork processing plant, saying the coronavirus is spreading among workers and is endangering not only employees of the plant but the entire community. Mayors, county officials and state legislators signed the letter that was sent to Tyson on Thursday. The 19 officials said at a Friday news conference they had only received confirmation from the company that it had received the letter but no other action .The officials also accused Gov. Kim Reynolds of misleading Iowans on the seriousness of the outbreak and for failure to take action to close the plant.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa sheriff is urging Tyson Foods to temporarily shut down its plant in Waterloo as coronavirus cases spike in Black Hawk County. The Des Moines Register reports Sheriff Tony Thompson says he’s concerned that COVID-19 will overrun his community even more if the Tyson Foods plant doesn’t take proper precautions. He says they need to deep clean that facility and restart it on a clean slate. His comments came shortly before Gov. Kim Reynolds announced that 138 people had tested positive for the virus and one person has died with the virus in Black Hawk County.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — State health officials say the number of cases of coronavirus in Iowa increased more than 15% on Sunday to 2,902. The Iowa Department of Public Health said Sunday that 389 additional cases of COVID-19 and one additional death related to the virus had been confirmed. The person who died was an adult in the 61-to 80 age bracket, from Muscatine County. The state has now reported 75 deaths linked to the virus.

Officials say 261 or 67% of today’s 389 additional positive cases can be attributed to surveillance testing of meat processing facilities. That includes over 500 completed surveillance tests of Tyson employees and over 500 completed surveillance tests of National Beef employees, for a total of 84 positive and 177 positive respectively.

The IDPH says 198 patients are currently hospitalized, and 1,171 Iowans have recovered. There have been an additional 1,214 negative tests for a total of 21,648 negative tests to date, which includes testing reported by the State Hygienic Lab and other labs.

For most people, coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks. For some people, the virus can cause more severe illness and death. The state of Iowa has released an updated dashboard on coronavirus.iowa.gov that will be updated daily to include comprehensive tracking of COVID-19 in Iowa.

The new dashboard includes cases, deaths, and tests conducted in each county. The state is now providing demographic information that was not previously provided as well as Iowa’s epidemiological curve.

The Griswold School Board plans to meet 5:30-p.m. Monday in the Elementary School Library. Old Business on their agenda will cover the second reading of 200-Series Board Policies, Book Fees for 2020-21, and an update on COVID-19 response.

New Business for their meeting includes:

• Consider approval of Open Enrollment Requests
• Discussion on SAVE Bond Refinancing
• Approval of Master Contracts for: a School-Based Interventionist; and Technology Coordinator
• Approve the Master Contract for Non-Certified Staff
• Approve contract renewals for: Certified Staff, Coaches/Sponsors, Administration, Quasi-Administrators, and Support Staff, and….
• Setting contract issuance and return dates.

The Audubon School District will hold Public Hearings, Monday, on the FY2021 School Budget, and with regard to the proposed plans and specifications, form of contract and estimate of cost for, the Middle School/High School Facility Improvements. The hearings take place during the Audubon School Board meeting that begins at 7-p.m., and can be accessed via Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/4779457777?pwd=dTRZWlBmQ05FM3M0eGlqKyswZzFGdz09).

The Public Hearing on the Facility Improvements will cover project details, including the replacement of four, roof top Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) units. If approved, four new upgraded units will be installed and one Energy Recovery Ventilation Unit. The project will take place at the Audubon Middle School/High School.

At the conclusion of the Public Hearing, the School Board will make a decision on putting the project out for bids, with a Summer 2020 implementation anticipated. In other business, the Audubon School Board will act on approving the following items:

• A Canvass of the Votes for the Bond Election.
• The FY2021 Budget
• The Plans and Specs for Project 1 – HVAC RTU’s, and…
• Agreements with Piper Sandler for General Obligation Bond Financing

The Board will also act on: an AEA Purchasing Agreement; the annual IASB Membership, including policy review manual; the second-reading of 400-Series Board Policies, and Personnel matters.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Across an arc of vital swing states, the coronavirus has put politics on an uneasy pause. Political fights are raging among state leaders from Iowa to Pennsylvania over the handling of the pandemic’s impact. Protecting public health versus restarting the economy, along with arguments about the limits of executive authority, have taken the place of the national political debate that’s typical of presidential campaigns at this point.

FILE – In this April 9, 2020, file photo Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds listens to a question during an update to the state’s response to the coronavirus outbreak during a news conference at the State Emergency Operations Center in Johnston, Iowa. Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand has questioned the data Reynolds is using to justify allowing more freedom of movement than in neighboring states. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, Pool, File)

Meanwhile, presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden has built little campaign structure across the region. President Donald Trump is relying on state GOP headquarters for his operations, though they too have been largely empty.