Iowa reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 4,743 new cases. That’s down 16% from the previous week’s tally of 5,648 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Iowa ranked 36th 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 11.2% from the week before, with 707,345 cases reported. With 0.95% of the country’s population, Iowa had 0.67% of the country’s cases in the last week. Across the country, eight states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
Johns Hopkins University has been getting data on an erratic schedule from Iowa, skewing week-to-week comparisons.
Johnson County reported 306 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 320 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 40,720 cases and 157 deaths.
Washington County reported 46 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 47 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 6,179 cases and 80 deaths.
Across Iowa, cases fell in 67 counties, with the best declines in Polk County, with 653 cases from 765 a week earlier; in Woodbury County, with 167 cases from 240; and in Pottawattamie County, with 89 cases from 158.
>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases
Within Iowa, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Monona County with 348 cases per 100,000 per week; Taylor County with 343; and Cherokee County with 294. 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 653 cases; Linn County, with 392 cases; and Scott County, with 325. Weekly case counts rose in 26 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week’s pace were in Scott, Marion and Monona counties.
In Iowa, 32 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 833,187 people in Iowa have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 9,882 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 93,641,944 people have tested positive and 1,041,149 people have died.
>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States
Iowa’s COVID-19 hospital admissions staying flat
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Aug. 21. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
- Last week: 452
- The week before that: 456
- Four weeks ago: 430
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
- Last week: 68,647
- The week before that: 69,679
- Four weeks ago: 73,529
Hospitals in 14 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 19 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 20 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.
