After not recording a COVID related death since the spring, Marshall County reported a new death for the third consecutive week.

Among the 6,563 deaths across the state, 82 were reported in Marshall County. The state has also exceeded 10,000 new cases each of the last three weeks, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Marshalltown Community College hasn’t reported any new cases this week. Students of the college self report positive cases. The Marshalltown Community School District, however, had 35 cases among students and seven among staff as of Friday. These numbers are district wide.

Meanwhile, Judge Robert Pratt of the Southern District of Iowa ruled in favor of school districts’ ability to mandate masks in schools. His ruling determined the law passed in May and signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds which barred districts from requiring masks “substantially increases (students) risk of contracting the virus that causes COVID-19 and that due to their various medical conditions they are at an increased risk of severe illness or death, Plaintiffs have demonstrated that an irreparable harm exists.”

Several districts across the state went against the law and began requiring mask wearing in recent weeks, including Ankeny a week ago. MCSD started the semester without a mask requirement but at the Sept. 20 board meeting it approved a mask requirement for students in Pre-K through sixth grade as well as staff. Masks are still optional outside of those grades, according to Communications Director Adam Sodders.

The state’s 7-day rate of positive cases has leveled off after steadily rising in the last several weeks. It is 9.5-percent which is slightly lower than a week ago. Twenty-four percent of positive cases are among children under 17 years old. Only 3-percent of cases are in people 80 or older.

There are 624 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 infection and 157 are in intensive care.

Ninety-two patients were admitted in the last 24 hours. About 76-percent of patients were admitted with COVID infection as their primary diagnosis. Twenty-three percent of the admissions are 60-69 years old, the most of any age group.

Of the 157 intensive care patients, more than 84-percent are not fully vaccinated. More than 81-percent of hospitalized patients were admitted with COVID infection. About 74-percent of hospital inpatient beds are occupied. The IDPH website no longer reports patients how many patients are on ventilators or how many ventilators are available.

About 65-percent of eligible Iowans are fully vaccinated with 3.4 million doses administered. Sixty-eight percent of children 12 and up have received at least one dose. Marshall County is up to a 69.7-percent vaccination rate.

MARSHALLTOWN COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

To stay up to date with the Marshalltown Community School District’s COVID numbers and policies, visit www.marshalltown.k12.ia.us/covid-19-updates and www.marshalltown.k12.ia.us/return-to-learn

COVID-19 IN MARSHALL COUNTY

• Seven day percent of positive test rate: 7 percent

• Seven day number of cases: 180

• CDC transmission level: HIGH

• Fully vaccinated: 69 percent

• New deaths this week: 1

• Total deaths: 82

——

Contact Joe Fisher at news@timesrepublican.com.