Iowa’s rate of positive coronavirus tests worsens

The rate of COVID-19 tests in Iowa that came back positive in a 24-hour period ending at 11 a.m. Sunday rose to 15.49 percent - the highest in more than five weeks.

The latest tally represents the third consecutive day above a 12 percent positive rate. Iowa has not seen a surge of this extent since the first few days of May.

The latest 15.49 percent rate means that of the 4,268 tests run in the period, 661 of them proved positive.

The 661 new cases brings the statewide total to date to 56,157.

Of that 661, Johnson County added 91 cases - the highest ever in a similar 24-hour period - for a total of 2,480. The closest Johnson County had come before in adding that many new cases in a similar time frame was 70 on June 28,

Linn County added 31 cases for a total of 2,733.

Public health officials reported five more deaths in Iowa as a result of the coronavirus. Sunday is the second day in a row that someone died in Linn County due to COVID-19, bringing the county's death total from the virus to 91. Clinton, Dallas, Des Moines and Warren counties each reported a death also.

The daily hospitalizations dropped from 268 to 260. But the number of patients in intensive care because of the virus increased from 79 to 82 and the number of patients on ventilators to help breathe increased from 34 to 39.

The 10 counties with the most COVID-19 cases reported so far are:

' Polk County: 11,710

' Woodbury County: 3,936

' Black Hawk County: 3,504

' Linn County: 2,733

' Johnson County: 2,480

' Dallas County: 2,111

' Scott County: 1,997

' Dubuque County: 1,899

' Buena Vista County: 1,814

' Marshall County: 1,566

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

John McGlothlen of The Gazette contributed to this report.