No COVID-19 outbreaks in Iowa nursing homes for first time in a year

For the first time in a year, no COVID-19 outbreaks were reported in any of Iowa's 429 long-term care facilities Thursday.

The milestone caps a devastating year for residents and staff of long-term care facilities - and came on a day when other virus numbers hit new lows in Iowa.

In the past year, 2,224 residents of long-term care facilities have died - a total that is almost 40 percent of the 5,672 virus-related deaths in Iowa.

The year has been one of struggles, as the care facilities faced equipment and staff shortages while trying to corral the virus infecting thousands of the state's frailest citizens.

During the winter surge in virus cases, COVID-19 outbreaks were reported at 170 long-term care facilities Dec. 3 - almost 40 percent of the nursing homes in Iowa. Outbreaks are three or more cases among residents and staff.

During the week of Nov. 15, 1,698 residents and staff were sick with the virus, the high point of infections within the facilities.

In addition, the people who live in the facilities endured months of lockdown and isolation in 2020 and only recently have been able to see loved ones in person.

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

VACCINATIONS

As of 1:30 p.m. Thursday, almost 450,000 people in Iowa are fully vaccinated.

Of the 447,345 people who've completed the vaccine, 415,743 completed the two-shot Moderna or Pfizer vaccine and 31,602 completed the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

That total means almost 18 percent of Iowa's adult population (age 16 and older) is now fully vaccinated, or about 14.2 percent of Iowa's total population.

As of Thursday, 1,181,990 vaccine doses have been given in Iowa, with 1,138,228 going to Iowa residents.

In Linn County, 87,021 doses have been administered, with 34,484 fully vaccinated - or 19.1 percent of the county's adult population and 15.2 percent of the county's total population.

In Johnson County, 71,067 vaccine doses had been administered as of Thursday, with 27,778 fully vaccinated - 22.4 percent of the county's adult population and 18.4 percent of the county's total population.

New cases

Iowa on Thursday reported 404 new COVID-19 cases and six new, confirmed deaths.

To date, 344,316 Iowans have tested positive for the virus and 5,672 have died since last March, according to Iowa Department of Public Health.

The new cases come from 13,632 tests in the 24-hour period as of 11 a.m. Thursday, for a one-day positivity rate of 3.29 percent.

The state did not update its new case data on Wednesday so the following numbers are reported over a 48-hour span:

' Linn County added 37 cases Thursday, bringing the county total to 19,662.

' Johnson County added 20 cases for a county total of 13,283.

DEATHS

The six deaths reported Thursday came between Feb. 16 and March 15, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Three of the deaths were of individuals over the age of 80 and three were of individuals between 61 and 80.

Two of the deaths were in Scott County. Counties reporting one death each were Linn, Madison, Monona and Woodbury.

Iowa's seven-day average for virus deaths was seven on Thursday, the lowest it's been since Sept. 29.

HOSPITALIZATIONS

Across the state, COVID-19 hospitalizations increased from 161 to 171 during the 24-hour period ending at 11 a.m. Thursday. Patients in the intensive care units remained at 41, and patients on ventilators went from 18 to 19.

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