Iowa surpasses 3,000 coronavirus deaths

Iowa on Wednesday reported 102 deaths due to the coronavirus, bringing the state's virus death toll since March to 3,017.

The state also reported 2,545 new virus cases in the 24-hour period ending at 11 a.m. Wednesday, with a positivity rate of 36.41 percent.

Sixty-six counties in Iowa have 14-day positivity rates of more than 15 percent.

Since March, 248,782 coronavirus cases have been reported in Iowa, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

COVID-19 hospitalizations across the state dropped from 900 to 894 in the 24-hour period.

The number of patients in intensive care increased from 191 to 196 and the number of patients on ventilators increased from 111 to 120.

Linn County reported three deaths Wednesday, for a total of 207, and Jones County reported three deaths, for a total of 27 since March.

Buchanan County and Clayton County reported two deaths each. Eastern Iowa counties reporting one virus death each included Benton, Fayette, Iowa, Tama and Washington.

Linn County reported 94 new virus cases, for a total of 15,203. The county's seven-day average is 94.

Johnson County added 55 new cases, for a total of 10,126 and a seven-day average of 55.

Of the new cases statewide, 295 were found in children up to age 17, with 25,111 cases in that age group since March.

As of Wednesday, 141 long-term care facilities were reporting outbreaks of three or more cases, with 5,675 nursing home residents diagnosed with COVID-19. Meth-Wick Health Center in Cedar Rapids went from 27 to 28 cases with zero recoveries.

Comments: (319) 398-8255; gage.miskimen@thegazette.com

John McGlothlen of The Gazette contributed to this report.