Iowa adds 616 new coronavirus cases

The number of new cases of COVID-19 statewide climbed — to 616, from Friday’s 519 — as of 11 a.m. Saturday.

According to Iowa Department of Public Heath data and as analyzed by The Gazette, Saturday also saw eight additional confirmed deaths related to the coronavirus in Iowa. That takes the statewide total to 5,857 since March 2020.

New cases

Linn County recorded 37 new cases — 14 higher than the day before. Johnson County’s count also was up, by eight more than Friday’s, to 30 additional cases.

Statewide, 110 new cases were reported among children.

Some 31.1 million Americans have been infected with the virus, according to the New York Times database as of early Saturday morning.

Confirmed deaths

Of the eight COVID-19-related deaths confirmed as of 11 a.m. for the previous 24-hour period, four of those were people older than 80. Two were between 61 and 80, and two others between 41 and 60.

Four of those deaths happened in March and four were this month, the state noted, but were attributed to COVID-19 with Saturday’s figures.

The New York Times reported 560,531 deaths in the United States since March 2020 as of Saturday morning.

Hospitalizations

Across Iowa, 218 people were in hospitals due to the coronavirus, 10 fewer than the day before.

Intensive care units counted 52 patients — three more than Friday — and 19 on ventilators, one fewer than the previous day.

Vaccinations

The state public health department said 23.19 percent of all Iowans had been fully vaccinated as of Saturday morning’s tabulations.

An increase of 27,083 residents as of the new count brought the total number of those who’ve had a full series to 731,737.

Linn County now has 24.29 percent of its population vaccinated, at 134,894. Johnson County stood at 28.38 percent of all its residents fully vaccinated, at 42,892.

Long-term care

Three long-term care facilities were listed with outbreaks, one more than the day before, but none in the Corridor. An outbreak is defined as three or more current cases among residents and staff.

No additional deaths were recorded, leaving the statewide total at such facilities at 2,293.

The Gazette’s Stephen Colbert contributed to this report.