COVID-19 cases fall, but hospitalizations and deaths remain elevated

Iowa’s new COVID-19 cases fell from a spike last week, but hospitalizations and deaths remain high.

Iowa’s COVID-19 cases were down 6% over the last seven days, the Washington Post reported Monday. The decrease follows a sharp increase last week, when cases were up 33.7% compared to the week before.

Hospitalizations and deaths, however, have increased over the last week. Hospitalizations increased by 9% and deaths were up 100% from the last week, according to the Post database. The jump may be partially due to a Sunday addition of 68 deaths to state data, some of which were catching up from previous weeks according to the Des Moines Register. 

Iowa’s test-positivity rate over the past seven days is 7%, close to the national average of 6%. 

In Polk County, the 14-day positivity rate is 8%, according to the New York Times. The Times classifies Polk County citizens as “at a very high risk” of exposure to COVID-19.

Monday marked the first day of general eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine in Iowa. All Iowans age 16 or older may sign up for a vaccine appointment. 

So far, about 21% of Iowans have received both doses of the vaccine, according to the Washington Post and the New York Times. One-third of Iowans have had at least one dose.

The Iowa Department of Public Health reported Monday that 292,641 individuals had tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, and 5,822 had died.