Iowa reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 4,201 new cases. That’s down 14.4% from the previous week’s tally of 4,909 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Iowa ranked 23rd among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 4.7% from the week before, with 507,209 cases reported. With 0.95% of the country’s population, Iowa had 0.83% of the country’s cases in the last week. Across the country, three states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
The Labor Day holiday may have altered how many people can get tested and when, and when governments report testing results and deaths. This will skew week-to-week comparisons.
Johns Hopkins University has been getting data on an erratic schedule from Iowa, skewing week-to-week comparisons.
Johnson County reported 235 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 293 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 41,558 cases and 158 deaths.
Washington County reported 35 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 47 cases and one death. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 6,294 cases and 81 deaths.
Across Iowa, cases fell in 65 counties, with the best declines in Polk County, with 688 cases from 854 a week earlier; in Johnson County, with 235 cases from 293; and in Black Hawk County, with 146 cases from 198.
>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases
Within Iowa, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Adams County with 250 cases per 100,000 per week; Lucas County with 244; and Clinton County with 233. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
Adding the most new cases overall were Polk County, with 688 cases; Linn County, with 337 cases; and Scott County, with 250. Weekly case counts rose in 30 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week’s pace were in Scott, Clinton and Cerro Gordo counties.
In Iowa, 28 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 33 people were reported dead.
A total of 847,235 people in Iowa have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 9,968 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 95,250,705 people have tested positive and 1,050,323 people have died.
>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States
Iowa’s COVID-19 hospital admissions rising
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Sept. 11. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
- Last week: 491
- The week before that: 412
- Four weeks ago: 456
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
- Last week: 60,585
- The week before that: 61,376
- Four weeks ago: 69,436
Hospitals in 16 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 22 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 19 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.
The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.
