contributed photo An image of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Iowa’s hospitalizations related to COVID-19 continue to fall sharply, but the test positivity rate exceeded 25 percent, the New York Times reported.

As of Sunday, there were 358 hospitalizations, down 26 percent in the past two weeks, the newspaper’s database indicated.

The Times reported 298 COVID-19 cases were recorded in Iowa on Sunday, with the seven-day average down 26 percent. The state has averaged 895 cases a day over the past week.

The Times reported 250 COVID-related deaths in Iowa Sunday. However, a state official told the Des Moines Register some of those deaths happened as early as October and were added this week after a federal review of death certificates. The Register reported Iowa had added five more deaths as of 10 a.m. Monday.

The state continued to see a drop in cases, but the figures may have been skewed by low numbers of tests administered.

The Washington Post reported Iowa had a test positivity rate of 25.2 percent, about five times the rate the World Health Organization uses as a benchmark for reopening facilities. The number of tests Iowa has conducted rose 1.4 percent over the past week, but remained the lowest among the states.

The state reported six counties with test positivity rates of more than 15 percent over the past two weeks, a steep drop from the level a couple of months ago. But only two of Iowa’s 99 counties were below the WHO’s goal of under 5 percent.

The Iowa Department of Public Health on Monday reported the state had recorded 319,495 coronavirus cases and 4,901 deaths since the pandemic began.

The department reported that 133,895 had received the first dose of coronavirus vaccine, and 60,074 had received both doses. The state has 3.1 million residents.

There are 55 outbreaks at nursing homes, about 30 fewer than last week, the state reported. Those outbreaks had sickened 1,641 residents and staff. Since the pandemic began, 2,008 residents have died at the facilities. The state declines to report the number of staff deaths at nursing homes.

As of 11 a.m. Monday, the state reported 368 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, up 10 from the day before. There were 92 in intensive care, two fewer than Sunday. The 41 people admitted to hospitals with COVID cases in the past 24 hours was down from 55.

COVID-19 update: Hospitalizations fall, positive test rate tops 25%