PANDEMIC RECORD TODAY. 84 COVID-19 RELATED DEATHS. STACEY: KCCI’S BEAU BOWMAN SPOKE WITH ONE PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIAL TO FIND OUT WHY THOSE NUMBERS ARE SPIKING NOW. BEAU: I SPOKE WITH THE POLK COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT TODAY. THEY SAY THIS INCREASE IN DEATHS IS NOT IN RESPONSE TO IOWANS NOT FOLLOWING THANKSGIVING GUIDELINES, BUT RATHER THE FINAL PHASE OF THE SPIKE WE SAW IN EARLY NOVEMBER. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, IOWA REPORTED THE TWO HIGHEST NUMBERS OF COVID-19 RELATED DEATHS SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC. AFTER ANALYZING THE TRENDS IN THE CORONAVIRUS DATA, POLK COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DOESN’T BELIEVE THESE INCREASING NUMBERS ARE FALL-OUT FROM THANKSGIVING. THEY SAY THOSE EFFECTS WILL LIKELY BE OUT IN ANOTHER WEEK. INSTEAD, THEY SAY THIS BUMP IN THE DEATH TOLL IS THE LAST PART OF THE VIRUS’ MASSIVE WAVE WE SAW IN MID-NOVEMBER WHEN THE STATE WAS REPORTING MORE THAN 5,000 NEW CASES EVERYDAY. A SPOKESPERSON AT POLK COUNTY TOLD KCCI, THESE SPIKES WORK IN THREE PHASES. FIRST YOU’LL START TO SEE A RISE IN CASE NUMBERS, THEN A FEW WEEKS LATER, A RISE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS, AND THEN FINALLY, A RISE IN DEATHS. POLK COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH SAYS THIS SHOULD BE A WAKE UP CALL FOR IOWANS TO TAKE THE GUIDELINES MORE SERIOUSLY. >> I THINK THIS IS VERY, IT’S HEARTBREAKING, IT’S ABSOLUTELY HEARTBREAKING, THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE OUR COMMUNITY REALIZES HOW ABSOLUTELY SERIOUS THIS IS. IF WE DON’T THINK THAT THE HIGH DEATH TOLLS THAT WE’VE SEEN IN THE LAST COUPLE DAYS, IF THAT DOESN’T AFFECT US, I DON’T KNOW WHAT WILL. BEAU: NOLA AIGNER DAVIS THERE WITH THE POLK COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT. SHE SAYS WE’LL LIKELY SEE ANOTHER SMALL SPIKE IN CASES NEXT WEEK AS FALLOUT FROM THANKSGIVING, AND HOPES IOWANS TAKE CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS A BIT MORE SERIO
Iowa reports 62 additional COVID-19 deaths
Updated: 10:10 AM CST Dec 5, 2020
The Iowa Department of Public Health on Saturday reported another 62 additional COVID-19 deaths in the state as 2,371 more people contracted the virus. Iowa has reported 216 additional virus deaths in just the last three days.As of 10 a.m., the health department reported 242,062 total coronavirus cases, 157,028 total recoveries and 2,665 total deaths since the pandemic began. The state reported 239,691 total cases and 2,603 total deaths a day earlier.State data shows 1,243,596 Iowans have been tested for the virus. On Friday, the health department announced changes to state’s COVID-19 positive case analysis. The website now includes data for total tests administered compared to total individuals tested. Additional data changes include 14- and 7-day positivity rate averages and individuals positive per population of 100,000. Iowa on Saturday reported a 14-day positivity rate of 16.5% and a 7-day positivity rate of 13.7%.Health department data shows 75 of Iowa’s 99 counties report a 14-day positivity rate at 15% or greater. That’s down from 78 the previous day. Kossuth County reports a 14-day positivity rate of 30.3%.Virus hospitalizations dipped below 1,000 for the first time since Nov. 10 on Saturday. There are currently 960 Iowans hospitalized with Covid-19, down from 1,000 a day earlier. There were 131 patients admitted in the last 24 hours, an increase of 8 from the previous day. There are currently 204 patients in intensive care, down from 209 a day earlier. The state reports 117 patients on ventilators, a decrease of 11 patients from the previous day. Iowa reports approximately 2,980 available inpatient beds, 359 ICU beds and 851 ventilators available. Hospitalization analysis shows 696 of those hospitalized had a primary COVID-19 diagnosis, while 264 were hospitalized for another reason but tested positive. State data shows 72% of those hospitalized are 60 or older.Iowa reports COVID-19 outbreaks in two more long-term care facilities, bringing the total to 137. There are 5,275 positive cases and 2,316 recoveries reported within those facilities. There have been 1,114 deaths reported in Iowa’s care facilities. The Iowa Department of Public Health reports COVID-19 data in real time on this website. KCCI publishes a summary of the data each day at 10 a.m.
DES MOINES, Iowa —
The Iowa Department of Public Health on Saturday reported another 62 additional COVID-19 deaths in the state as 2,371 more people contracted the virus. Iowa has reported 216 additional virus deaths in just the last three days.
As of 10 a.m., the health department reported 242,062 total coronavirus cases, 157,028 total recoveries and 2,665 total deaths since the pandemic began. The state reported 239,691 total cases and 2,603 total deaths a day earlier.
State data shows 1,243,596 Iowans have been tested for the virus. On Friday, the health department announced changes to state’s COVID-19 positive case analysis. The website now includes data for total tests administered compared to total individuals tested. Additional data changes include 14- and 7-day positivity rate averages and individuals positive per population of 100,000. Iowa on Saturday reported a 14-day positivity rate of 16.5% and a 7-day positivity rate of 13.7%.
Health department data shows 75 of Iowa’s 99 counties report a 14-day positivity rate at 15% or greater. That’s down from 78 the previous day. Kossuth County reports a 14-day positivity rate of 30.3%.
Virus hospitalizations dipped below 1,000 for the first time since Nov. 10 on Saturday. There are currently 960 Iowans hospitalized with Covid-19, down from 1,000 a day earlier. There were 131 patients admitted in the last 24 hours, an increase of 8 from the previous day. There are currently 204 patients in intensive care, down from 209 a day earlier. The state reports 117 patients on ventilators, a decrease of 11 patients from the previous day.
Iowa reports approximately 2,980 available inpatient beds, 359 ICU beds and 851 ventilators available. Hospitalization analysis shows 696 of those hospitalized had a primary COVID-19 diagnosis, while 264 were hospitalized for another reason but tested positive. State data shows 72% of those hospitalized are 60 or older.
Iowa reports COVID-19 outbreaks in two more long-term care facilities, bringing the total to 137. There are 5,275 positive cases and 2,316 recoveries reported within those facilities. There have been 1,114 deaths reported in Iowa’s care facilities.
The Iowa Department of Public Health reports COVID-19 data in real time on this website. KCCI publishes a summary of the data each day at 10 a.m.