Hospitalizations for COVID-19 down in Iowa over past month

Hospitalizations from COVID-19 in Iowa are down by half from what they were a month ago.

Iowa reported 575 hospitalizations New Year's Day, compared to 1,172 COVID-19 patients hospitalized Dec. 1. And it's more than a blip, with four of the last seven days having fewer than 600 hospitalizations.

Of people hospitalized Friday, 117 were in intensive care and 63 were on ventilators. Both numbers were down from the previous day.

Iowa reported 2,133 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, totaling 282,439. There are seven new confirmed deaths for 3,898 overall in the state. Of the people who died from the virus, four were older than 80 and three were ages 61 to 80, the state reported.

There were 4,627 test results reported Friday, including 2,133 positives and 2,494 negatives and inconclusives. Thirty-nine of Iowa's 99 counties have a 14-day positivity rate over 15%. Linn County's rate was 9.1% and Johnson County's rate was 9.7%.

Johnson County added 77 cases as of Friday's report, ticking up from what had been a steady decline for most of December.

Iowa has 109 outbreaks at long-term care facilities, down two from Thursday, and 4,558 people in these facilities who have tested positive. There were 1,139 reported deaths. One of the long-term care centers removed from the outbreak list was Monticello Nursing & Rehab Center, which was added to the list Nov. 10 and had 72 cases at its peak.

The Top 10 counties in total COVID-19 cases are:

1. Polk: 41,555

2. Linn: 16,630

3. Scott: 14,160

4. Black Hawk: 12,804

5. Woodbury: 12,307

6. Johnson: 11,165

7. Dubuque: 10,640

8. Pottawattamie: 8,302

9. Story: 8,024

10. Dallas: 7,957

Comments: (319) 339-3157; erin.jordan@thegazette.com

Gazette editor Katie Brumbeloe contributed to this report.