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COVID-19 cases in Iowa fall

Hospitalizations and deaths remain elevated

contributed photo With the state now expanding the number of people eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, Iowa is gaining ground in the vaccine rollout.

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 percent over the last seven days, the Washington Post reported Monday. The decrease follows a sharp increase last week, when cases were up 33.7 percent compared to the week before.

Hospitalizations and deaths, however, have increased over the last week. Hospitalizations increased by 9 percent and deaths were up 100 percent 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 percent, close to the national average of 6 percent.

In Polk County, the 14-day positivity rate is 8 percent, 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 percent 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.

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

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