More than 100 COVID-19 deaths added to Iowa death toll in past week

In the past week, 117 Iowans were added to the statewide death toll, the most COVID-19 deaths confirmed in a one-week period since February.

All of the deaths occurred in September and October, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

One hundred deaths were reported the previous week.

Statewide, the COVID-19 death toll now totals 6,965 since March 2020 when the virus first appeared in Iowa.

Linn County reported nine deaths, bringing the county’s death toll to 403. Ten of the deaths were in Polk County, where COVID-19 deaths total 739.

Lee County reported eight deaths in the past week, and Black Hawk and Webster counties reported five deaths each.

Counties reporting three deaths were Cerro Gordo, Clinton, Delaware, Des Moines, Dubuque, Fayette, Jasper and Marshall.

Counties reporting two deaths each were Adams, Cass, Clay, Greene, Hamilton, Hardin, Henry, Mahaska, Monroe, Muscatine, Pottawattamie, Scott, Shelby, Story and Wapello.

Counties reporting one death were Allamakee, Appanoose, Buena Vista, Butler, Cedar, Cherokee, Clarke, Decatur, Floyd, Harrison, Howard, Johnson, Kossuth, Lyon, Marion, Monona, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Ringgold, Sac, Sioux, Union, Warren, Washington, Winneshiek and Woodbury.

Hospitalizations

Hospitalizations because of the virus dropped from 557 to 531 in the past week.

Those not fully vaccinated accounted for 65.5 percent of those hospitalized, the first time that percentage has been below 70 percent since the state began reporting that statistic Sept. 2.

By comparison, unvaccinated patients accounted for 77.2 percent of hospitalizations the previous week.

In the past week, 129 patients were in intensive care units, compared to 142 last week. Also, 64 patients were on ventilators, compared to 67 last week.

Those not fully vaccinated accounted for 81.4 percent of the COVID-19 patients in intensive care units.

Patients aged 17 and younger represent 1 percent of new hospitalizations this week. Last week, this age group accounted for 3 percent of admissions.

Those aged 18-29 represent 7 percent of hospital admissions, compared to 5 percent last week.

New cases

State public health officials reported 6,983 new COVID-19 cases in the past week, with a seven-day positivity rate of 8.1 percent.

In the previous week, 6,907 new cases were reported, with a seven-day positivity rate of 8 percent

The 17 and under age group continues to represent the highest share of new cases, at 22 percent, the same as last week.

Linn County reported 535 new cases in the past week, with a seven-day positivity rate of 8.8 percent. The week before, the county reported 514 cases with an 8.7 percent positivity rate.

Johnson County added 180 new cases, with a seven-day positivity rate of 4.6 percent. The county reported 188 cases last week with a positivity rate of 5.6 percent.

A map from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows 98 Iowa counties continue to have the highest rate of community transmission. Only Grundy County in north-central Iowa is showing a “substantial” rate of transmission.

Vaccinations

An additional 8,716 Iowans became fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the past week, bringing the statewide total to 1,655,979.

That accounts for 61.88 percent of Iowans aged 12 and older and 52.49 percent of the state’s entire population.

In Linn County, an additional 1,307 residents became fully vaccinated in the past week, bringing the county’s vaccinated total to 133,061. That’s 73.74 percent of residents aged 16 and older and 58.69 percent of the county’s total population.

Johnson County added 588 fully vaccinated residents in the past week, for a total of 189,550. That’s 76.34 percent of residents aged 16 and older and 62.79 percent of its total population.

Long-term care outbreaks

Thirty long-term care facilities in Iowa reported an outbreak of coronavirus cases in the past week, an increase from the 25 reported the previous week.

An outbreak is defined as three or more COVID-19 cases among staff and residents.

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

John McGlothlen of The Gazette contributed to this report.