For second day, no new COVID-19 outbreaks at Iowa nursing homes

For the second day in a row, no COVID-19 outbreaks were reported Friday in any of Iowa's 429 long-term care facilities.

An outbreak is defined as three of more COVID-19 cases among facility residents and staff. At the peak of the winter surge in virus cases, outbreaks were reported at 170 Iowa nursing homes on Dec. 3.

In the past year, 2,224 residents of long-term care facilities have died, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the 5,672 virus-related deaths in Iowa.

Gov. Kim Reynolds said this week that more than 90 percent of the residents in Iowa's long-term care facilities are onw fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as well as about 60 percent of the facilities' staff members.

Hospitalizations

The state reported increases across the board Friday in the number of virus-related hospitalizations, intensive care patients and those on ventilators.

Hospitalizations rose from 171 to 189. Patients in intensive care increased from 41 to 44. And the number of patients requiring ventilators to help them breathe ticked up from 19 to 21.

New cases

Iowa on Friday reported 595 new COVID-19 cases and no deaths.

The cases were identified in 3,263 tests conducted in the 24-hour period ending at 11 a.m. Friday.

The state's seven-day average for new cases is 429, and its 14-day positivity rate is 3.9 percent, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

To date, 344,911 Iowans have tested positive for the virus, and 5,673 have died since last March.

Of the cases reported Friday, 97 were among young people age 17 and under, bringing the number of children who have tested positive for the virus to 39,377 since last March.

Linn County reported 23 new cases Friday, bringing its total cases to 19,685. The county's seven-day average is 16.

Johnson County reported 14 new cases, bringing its total cases to 13,297. The county's seven-day average is 11.

Vaccinations

As of 1:30 p.m. Friday, 1,220,604 COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered in Iowa, with 1,175,680 of those doses going to Iowa residents.

Both totals are up by more than 35,000 from Thursday.

Across the state, 468,415 people have been fully vaccinated. That is equivalent to 17.94 percent of Iowa's adult population (16 and older) and 14.27 percent of Iowa's total population.

State officials said 435,843 people have completed the Moderna or Pfizer two-shot vaccines, and the remaining individuals - 32,572 - received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

In Linn County, 89,062 vaccine doses have been administered. Of those, 35,898 people are fully vaccinated - or 19.89 percent of the county's adult population and 15.83 percent of the county's total population.

In Johnson County, 71,952 vaccine doses have been administered. Of those, 28,185 people are fully vaccinated - or 22.67 percent of the county's adult population and 18.65 percent of the county's total population.

Expanded eligibility

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced this week that all Iowans will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccines, starting April 5.

Vaccine allocations to individual counties are expected to increase in the coming weeks, but Linn County health officials said Thursday that local vaccine distribution efforts will not change significantly as a result of the governor's decision.

Local public health officials are encouraging residents to get the vaccine as soon as they are able, noting it is critical Iowa reach 'herd immunity” levels as concerns rise about a new COVID-19 variants.

The expansion set off a frenzy of Iowans hunting for appointments and left some advocates concerned that the state's senior population will be unable to schedule vaccine appointments.

Iowa's vaccine dashboard says people ages 60-plus have received about 58 percent of the vaccines given in the state, but it doesn't say what share of Iowa seniors that represents.

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

Katie Brumbeloe of The Gazette contributed to this story.