News
Iowa Capital Dispatch, – October 20, 2021
Iowa’s average daily COVID-19 cases fell below 1,000 for the first time in nearly two months, as an early-autumn surge wanes and state politicians rally against federal vaccine mandates.
The daily average number of COVID-19 cases on Wednesday was 965, a 32% decline over the last two weeks, according to the New York Times.
Hospitalizations have fallen less dramatically over the last two weeks, declining by 7%. State data shows there are 557 COVID-19 patients currently in the hospital, 142 of whom are in the intensive care unit. About 80% of Iowans hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated.
Iowa’s vaccination rate has crept up slowly: Among all Iowans, including children, 55% of the population is fully vaccinated. Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday the state is expecting its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines for children 5-11 later this week, as the country begins its pediatric rollout.
Reynolds continued to emphasize the importance of personal choice at her Wednesday press conference. She encouraged parents to consult with their child’s pediatrician if they had concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Iowa Capitol Dispatch, – September 22, 2021
COVID-19 continues to spread in Iowa, with the average number of new infections and hospitalizations reaching their highest level of any time in 2021.
Only 13 other states have a higher per capita infection rate, according to the Washington Post. The newspaper’s COVID-19 tracker indicates Iowa is averaging 55 new cases each day for every 100,000 residents. Alaska has the nation’s highest daily average, at 117 new cases per 100,000 residents, while Connecticut has the lowest daily average at just 19 new cases per 100,000 residents.
The Iowa Department of Public Health reported Wednesday that there are 29 Iowa nursing homes in which there is a current, active outbreak involving three or more staff and/or residents. The agency’s web site no longer identifies the nursing homes where outbreaks are active, and no longer provides a count of the infections in each facility. IDPH officials did not respond to a written request for that information on Tuesday.
Setting aside the per capita calculations of infections, Iowa’s statewide daily average of newly reported COVID-19 cases was 1,811 on Tuesday, according to New York Times data. That number represents an average of the total number of new cases reported each day in Iowa during the last week.
The seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases in Iowa has risen 1,698% since late June, New York Times data show.
On June 25, that figure stood at 66 cases a day. The state was averaging 1,187 cases a day, as of Thursday.
The Times reported Iowa’s daily average for new cases rose 46% in the past two weeks. Hospitalizations increased by 29%, to 618 on Thursday. The state is averaging six COVID-related deaths a day.