Ten more north-central Iowans dead from COVID-19 complications as area sees third straight day of more recoveries than new cases

DES MOINES — Ten more north-central Iowans are among the 70 new deaths reported in Iowa due to complications from COVID-19.

According to data from the Iowa Department of Public Health in the 24 hours leading up to 11 o’clock this morning, four deaths were in Mitchell County, two in Floyd, and single deaths in Cerro Gordo, Hancock, Kossuth and Winnebago counties. The total number of deaths in the listening area since the start of the pandemic is now at 152 — 49 in Cerro Gordo, 25 in Winnebago, 21 in Franklin, 19 in Floyd, nine in Mitchell, eight each in Hancock and Kossuth, seven in Wright and six in Butler.

For the third straight 24-hour period the number of north-central Iowans reported as recovered outpaced the number of new cases confirmed, as 274 more have recovered with 189 new cases. That brings down the total number of active cases in north-central Iowa from 5485 on Wednesday to 5390 on Thursday. In Cerro Gordo County, the number of active cases dropped from 1765 on Wednesday to 1698 today.

The 10-county listening area’s 14-day average positivity rate stayed steady from Wednesday to Thursday at 20.8%.

The number of north-central Iowans hospitalized dropped from 83 on Wednesday to 75 today. 14 of those patients are in an intensive care unit while 12 are on a ventilator. 

Statewide the 70 more deaths brings the pandemic total to 2519; 2926 more people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 while 4903 more Iowans have recovered.