Perry officials are lobbying state agencies to change what information is released to the public regarding more specified locations of COVID-19 cases.

With numbers continuing to swell in Dallas County over the last week, questions have been raised about what populations are most at risk. Perry City Administrator Sven Peterson emphasizes that their request isn’t directed at a particular local entity, rather they’re seeking information on the coronavirus impact for their specific area. Peterson says he’s been in contact with the Governor’s and Attorney General’s offices, asking them to allow case reports based on zip code instead of by county. He points out, there are three large population centers in Dallas County, including Perry, Adel, and the Des Moines metro area, so it’s difficult for each of them to make informed decisions if they’re unsure of the local impact.

“Absolutely it’s not a matter of pointing fingers at anybody, or blaming anybody. It’s clearly a matter of working together to get the best data into decision makers’ hands, so that they can help make policy decisions and help protect their constituents. Dallas County, local Tyson, and the state offices have been helpful and cooperative and good partners. We’re just looking for clear guidance to be able to empower everybody to be able to release data, so that we can all work together and make decisions.”

Peterson adds, zip code reporting is currently being done in Linn County, as well as the State of Illinois, and he believes mitigation efforts in those areas have had better local involvement. At this point, all that’s know regarding specific cases in Perry is that there has been an unknown number of infected employees at the Tyson Fresh Meats plant, and a dozen at the Pearl Valley Rehabilitation and Nursing facility.