Local COVID weekly update — number of new positive cases up, no new deaths, hospitalizations down

MASON CITY — The number of north-central Iowans testing positive for COVID-19 in the last week is up, but for the first time since the early days of the pandemic, no new deaths have been reported in a week’s time.

According to the latest data from the Iowa Department of Public Health, a total of 777 people from the nine-county listening area of Cerro Gordo and the surrounding counties tested positive for COVID, compared to 620 in the week before.

The 7-day and 14-day positivity rates for the combined nine-county listening area stayed fairly steady compared to the week before, with the 7-day rate going from 11.4% last week to 11.3% this week, while the 14-day rate slightly increased from 10.7% to 11%. Almost half of the new cases in north-central Iowa were those under the age of 40.

While no new deaths were reported locally in the last week, the state’s total climbed by 105 to a total of 7550 since the start of the pandemic.

COVID-related hospitalizations in the north-central Iowa medical region have declined, with 49 people hospitalized in local hospitals currently, compared to 60 last week. Of those 49, 40 were not fully vaccinated.