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Iowa nears 1,500 deaths as total hospitalizations across the state reaches another peak
Kat Russell
Oct. 14, 2020 3:58 pm, Updated: Oct. 14, 2020 5:25 pm
Nearly 1,500 Iowans have died from COVID-19 since March, when the coronavirus first appeared in Iowa, according to data from the Iowa Department of Public Health.
In the 24-hour period that ended at 11 a.m. Wednesday, 14 deaths were reported: two in Scott County, and one each in Buchanan, Carroll, Cedar, Dallas, Delaware, Floyd, Guthrie, Harrison, Howard, Linn, Sac and Sioux counties. That brings the state's death toll to 1,495.
Hospitalizations rose from 463 to 473 - yet another new high for the state.
The state also added 1,178 new cases, bringing the total of Iowans who tested positive to 101,866. The state's seven-day rolling average is 1,073, one of the highest rolling seven-day averages recorded since late August. Iowa's highest rolling seven-day average was 1,177, recorded Aug. 31.
Of the 5,406 test results reported in the 24-hour period, 1,178 came back positive, while 4,228 were gave negative or inconclusive results, making for a positivity rate of 21.79 percent. That's the highest positivity rate since Aug. 27, when antigen tests were added to the state's tallies.
Linn County added 60 cases - the ninth-highest daily tally - bringing the total to 4,767. The county's seven-day average is 41, and its positivity rate is 11.11 percent.
Johnson County added eight cases, bringing its total to 5,509. The county's seven-day average is 27, and its positivity rate is 4.02 percent.
Story County added 17 cases, bringing its total to 3,748 total and its seven-day average to 19. The county's positivity rate is 11.18 percent.
Black Hawk County added 36 cases, bringing its total to 4,970. The county's seven-day average is 37, and its positivity rate is 16.9 percent.
Hiawatha Care Center still is experiencing an outbreak, going from 77 to 79 total cases, with 63 recovered.
Five long-term care facilities were added to the outbreak list.
Dunlap Specialty Center in Harrison County reported the most significant outbreak with 59 cases and six recoveries.
Ruthven Community Care Center in Palo Alto County reported 10 cases and one recovery, Atlantic Specialty Care in Cass County reported six cases and one recovery, and QHC Winterset North in Madison County reported three cases.
Edgewood Convalescent Home in Delaware County rejoined the outbreak list with four cases and one recovery. The long-term care facility was first added to the list June 12 and was removed July 8.
Eighty-six new positive cases were reported among those working in the education occupation sector, bringing that total up to 4,868, and 108 cases were added among children up to 17 years old. A total of 8,776 children in Iowa have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
The number of patients on ventilators rose from 44 to 46, while the number of ICU patients dipped from 114 to 106.
Comments: (319) 398-8238; kat.russell@thegazette.com