Coronavirus hospitalizations in Iowa soar for third straight day

COVID-19 continues to spread across Iowa at a record-setting pace as the state Wednesday reported new highs in hospitalizations.

According to data from the Iowa Department of Public Health, 596 Iowans were being treated for the virus in Iowa hospitals as of 11 a.m. Wednesday. That's the highest number recorded since March. And 30 of those patients were hospitalized in Linn County hospitals - a 24-hour record for the county.

The number of patients in intensive care units also climbed from 128 to 136, and those who required ventilators to help them breathe spiked from 46 to 51.

Iowa reported 1,891 new cases in the 24-hour period ending at 11 a.m. Wednesday, bringing the state's total of known infections to 119,526 and its seven-day average to 1,413 - another record.

Of the remaining 5,321 test results that were reported as of 11 a.m. Wednesday, 3,430 came back negative or inconclusive, bringing the state's positivity rate to 35.54 percent.

The state also reported 22 deaths in 17 counties, bringing Iowa's death toll to 1,680.

Black Hawk and Plymouth counties each reported three deaths while Dickinson and Scott counties reported two deaths each. Buchanan, Butler, Carroll, Cedar, Cerro Gordo, Clinton, Emmet, Grundy, Lyon, Marion, Monona, Polk and Sioux counties reported one death each. One death attributed to Osceola County was reclassified to one of the other counties mentioned, according to the data, making for a net gain of 22 deaths in the 24-hour period.

Linn County also set a record for infections recorded in a 24-hour period. The county reported 115 new cases as of 11 a.m. Wednesday, bringing its total to 5,754. The county's seven-day average is 89 - also a record high - and its positivity rate is 24.84 percent.

Black Hawk County also saw a high number of positive cases added Wednesday. The county reported 137 new cases in the past 24 hours - its third highest daily total - bringing the total number of recorded cases in Black Hawk County to 5,789. The county's seven-day average is 72 and its positivity rate is 70.26 percent.

Linn and Black Hawk were two of three Iowa counties to report triple-digit increases in the 24-hour period. The third was Polk County, where 235 new cases were reported as of 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Johnson County added 43 cases, bringing its total to 5,933. The county's seven-day average is 38, and its positivity rate is 21.72 percent.

Story County added 42 cases, bringing its total to 4,056. The county's seven-day average is 25, and its positivity rate is 26.09 percent.

Record-high daily numbers also were recorded among juveniles and education workers, according to the data, with 178 new cases reported in each group - the highest daily numbers recorded among juveniles and education workers since The Gazette began collecting such data on Sept. 17.

The total number of education workers who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Iowa now is 6,070, while 10,544 juveniles have tested positive for the virus.

The state also added two more long-term care facilities to its outbreak list.

Arbor Court in Henry County reported five COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, while Sanford Senior Care in Sheldon in O'Brien County reported three cases. Good Samaritan Society in Ottumwa in Wapello County exceeded 100 cases Wednesday - its total now is 101 - with 65 recoveries.

Comments: (319) 398-8238; kat.russell@thegazette.com