COVID positivity rates slightly decline in the last week across north-central Iowa

MASON CITY — The COVID-19 positivity rates in north-central Iowa are slightly down but the number of people hospitalized for coronavirus is up in the last week.

According to the new data from the Iowa Department of Public Health, 643 new cases of COVID-19 were identified in the KGLO News listening area of Cerro Gordo and the eight surrounding counties this past week. The listening area’s 7-day positivity rate is 10.4%, down from 11.3% last week. The 14-day positivity rate is at 10.9%, down from 11.3% last week.

The highest positivity rates continue to be in the western two-thirds of our listening area. Hancock County’s 7-day rate is at 14.4%, Franklin County is at 12.8%, Wright County is at 12.2% and Cerro Gordo and Winnebago counties’ 7-day rate is at 12.1%.

50% of the new cases in the past week are those under 40 years old.

n the north-central Iowa medical region, there are 42 people currently hospitalized for COVID, up from 38 last Wednesday. Of those 42 patients, 27 are not fully vaccinated.

Seven more people have died due to COVID-19 in our listening area — two each in Cerro Gordo, Butler and Winnebago counties with one in Flory County. That brings the area’s death total since the start of the pandemic to 422.