4th straight day of recoveries outpacing new cases, but Iowa sees worst day of pandemic with over 80 deaths, first Worth County death reported

DES MOINES — For the fourth straight day, the number of north-central Iowans recovered from COVID-19 outpaced the number of new cases, but the listening area also saw eight more deaths and the state saw its worst day of the pandemic with over 80 deaths reported.

In the 24 hours leading up to 11 o’clock this morning, three more deaths were reported in Cerro Gordo County, two more deaths each in Butler and Floyd counties, and Worth County reported its first death of the pandemic, the last county in our listening area to have reported its first fatality. That brings the listening area’s pandemic total deaths to 160, with 29 of those coming in the last week. In that same 24-hour period,

266 more north-central Iowans have been reported as recovered from the pandemic while 150 new cases were confirmed. That brings down the active number of cases in the listening area from 5390 on Thursday to 5266 today. The Cerro Gordo County active case count dropped from 1698 on Thursday to 1652 today.

The 10-county listening area’s 14-day average positivity rate is 20.5%, down from 20.8% on Thursday, while the seven-day rate for the listening area is at 16.7%.

The number of people hospitalized in the north-central Iowa medical region dropped from 75 on Thursday to 67 today. 14 people are in an intensive care unit while 12 are on a ventilator.

Iowa saw 84 deaths reported in the 24 hours leading up to 11 o’clock this morning, a pandemic high, bringing the total number of deaths to 2603. 5179 more Iowans were reported as recovered while 2901 new cases were confirmed.