Iowa coronavirus cases ease after days of spikes

For the first time since Wednesday morning, the number of new daily cases of COVID-19 reported Sunday in Iowa dipped below 1,000.

In the 24-hour period ending at 11 a.m., the state recorded 682 new cases, for a total of 92,543 confirmed cases since March.

Of the 4,693 test results in the 24-hour period, 4,011 came back negative or inconclusive, for a statewide positivity rate of 14.53 percent, according to state data.

Johnson and Story counties - the public university communities where Gov, Kim Reynolds ordered bars closed for over five weeks until allowing them to reopen starting this week - added just seven cases and 10 cases, respectively, on Sunday morning. Linn County added 40 cases in the same period.

The school-age group of up to 17 years old added 76 cases in the 24-hour period for a total of 7,838. Another 42 cases in the period were added for those the state classifies as being in the education occupation category. The total number of cases in the category is now 4,183.

Overall hospitalizations because of the virus dropped during the period from 402 to 392, but those in intensive care rose from 100 to 104 and those on ventilators to help breathe ticked up from 38 to 39, data shows.

The 10 Iowa counties with the most cases are:

' Polk: 16,470

' Woodbury: 5,918

' Johnson: 5,258

' Black Hawk: 4,644

' Linn: 4,375

' Dubuque: 3,701

' Story: 3,556

' Scott: 3,306

' Dallas: 2,933

' Pottawattamie: 2,345