Iowa approaching 10,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths since pandemic start

Iowa added 4,109 new COVID-19 cases in the past week, down from last week’s 4,176 cases.

The new cases brings the state’s number of reported cases to 850,932 since the start of the pandemic in Iowa in March 2020, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. The actual total is likely higher, given the availability of at-home test kits, which are not reported to the state.

Linn County added 339 new cases for a total of 60,152 since the pandemic’s start. The county added 337 last week.

Johnson County reported 243 new cases, bringing its total to 41,558. Johnson added 235 last week.

Deaths

The state on Wednesday confirmed 26 deaths due to the virus, a decrease from the 28 deaths reported last week.

To date, 9,994 virus deaths have been reported since the pandemic began in March 2020.

Linn and Johnson counties added one new death each.

Hospitalizations

In the past week, COVID-19 hospitalizations in Iowa decreased from 270 to 232.

The number of patients in intensive care units across the state also decreased from 25 to 21, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Vaccinations

The state has removed the CDC interactive Iowa map for vaccinations and instead points to the Iowa Immunization Registry Information System.

As of Sept. 5, the IRIS data reports that 59.4 percent of all Iowans are fully vaccinated, an increase of .2 since data was last reported at the beginning of August.

In Linn County, 66 percent of the total county population is fully vaccinated. In Johnson County, that number is 70.5.

Comments: (319) 398-8255; gage.miskimen@thegazette.com