COVID-19 hospitalizations increase in Iowa

After reaching an all-time low last week, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Iowa increased to 68 in the past week.

That’s double the 33 patients reported last week but still below the 74 reported the previous week, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Both numbers are a fraction of the 991 patients hospitalized the week of Jan. 19 during the height of the omicron surge.

In the past week, seven COVID-19 patients were in intensive care, up from six last week, which was an all-time low during the pandemic.

New cases

The number of new COVID-19 cases in Iowa remained elevated for the second week in a row, with 900 new cases reported in the past week.

That’s a slight decrease from the 930 reported last week, but more than the 478 new cases reported two weeks ago.

Again, the totals are far below the Jan. 19 peak when 38,500 new cases were reported for the week.

Linn County reported 103 new cases in the past seven days, down from the 122 reported last week, but higher than the 56 cases reported the week before.

Since March 2020, 52,173 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Linn County.

Johnson County reported 145 new cases, an increase from the 114 reported last week and the 43 cases two weeks ago.

Since March 2020, 34,193 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Johnson County.

As of April 7, the COVID-19 transmission level rose to the “high” category in Greene County and the “medium” category in Guthrie County, both in west-central Iowa. All other counties remain in the “low” category, according to the CDC.

The week before, all 99 Iowa counties were rated as “low.” Under federal guidelines, people living in areas rated as medium or low no longer need to wear masks indoors or in public spaces.

Deaths

The state public health department confirmed 21 new COVID-related deaths in Iowa in the past week. That’s an increase from the nine deaths reported last week, but below the 43 deaths reported the week before.

Since March 2020, 9,475 Iowans have died from the coronavirus.

No deaths were reported in Linn or Johnson counties in the past seven days.

Since March 2020, 579 people have died of COVID-19 in Linn County, and 150 have died in Johnson County.

Vaccinations

An additional 2,656 Iowans and non-Iowans completed their COVID-19 vaccine series in the state in the past week, bringing the number of vaccinated individuals statewide to 1,914,689 as of Wednesday.

That’s 61.7 percent of the state’s total population and 65.8 percent of Iowans aged 5 and older, according to the CDC.

The number of fully vaccinated and boosted individuals reached 1,021,765 as of Wednesday, with an additional 3,245 people getting booster shots in the past week.

In Linn County, 66.5 percent of the total county population and 70.9 percent of residents aged 5 and older were fully vaccinated as of this week, according to the CDC.

In Johnson County, 72.4 percent of the total county population and 76.8 percent of those aged 5 and older were fully vaccinated as of Wednesday, per the CDC.

Comments: (319) 398-8469; michaela.ramm@thegazette.com

John McGlothlen of The Gazette contributed to this report.