Iowa closing in on 38% of residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19

Iowa saw 12,682 more residents fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus as of early Saturday afternoon, for a total of 1,207,455.

That means 37.82 percent of all Iowans have received a full series of vaccinations against a virus that has claimed the lives of 6,000 Iowans in the past 14 months.

The state Department of Public Health began including vaccination data for children 12 and older at the statewide level this past week.

Saturday’s figures, according to Iowa Department of Public Health data and as analyzed by The Gazette, also listed 193 new positive cases of COVID-19, for a seven-day average of 240. That’s the lowest weeklong average since June 3’s 250.

New cases

In Linn County, 22 additional positive cases were recorded by the state, for a seven-day average of 17, as of 1:30 p.m. Saturday for the previous 24-hour period. Johnson County was reported with five new cases, for a seven-day average of eight.

Forty-one more cases of children under the age of 18 were noted in the state’s data.

Vaccinations

Linn County had 42.34 percent of its population above the age of 16 fully vaccinated, as of 1:30 p.m. Saturday. At 95,976 residents, that’s up 945 people from the day before.

Johnson County, with 74,350 of its residents having received a full series, had 49.19 percent of all its residents completely vaccinated — 755 more individuals over the age of 16 than on Friday.

Confirmed deaths

The state confirmed two additional deaths connected to COVID-19, both occurring this month. One of the deceased was between the ages of 61 and 80, and the other was older than 80, according the state public health department. One death was in Polk County and the other in Winneshiek County.

The New York Times’ data tracker listed 584,725 deaths nationwide as of Saturday morning.

Hospitalizations

Hospitalizations statewide declined from the previous day by four, for a total of 147 patients.

Forty-two people were in intensive-care units, and 19 were on ventilators.

Long-term care

Statewide, one long-term care facility was listed with an outbreak — the same as the day before.

An outbreak is defined as having three or more positive cases of COVID-19 among residents and/or staff at a facility.

The Gazette’s Stephen Colbert contributed to this report.