Tuesday COVID update — 129 new cases in area, active cases up over 1600, new death in Mitchell County

DES MOINES — 129 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in our listening area between Monday and this morning, pushing up the number of active cases in north-central Iowa over the 1600 mark.

According to data in the 24-hour period leading up to 11 o’clock this morning, 51 of those 129 cases were reported in Cerro Gordo County. One new death was reported in our listening area in Mitchell County. It’s the county’s second death since the start of the pandemic and the 88th in the listening area. 84 more people in our area have recovered in the same 24-hour period.

The number of active cases in our listening area rose from 1560 on Monday morning to 1604 as of this morning. The 10-county 14-day average positivity rate climbed to 14.8% this morning with all counties in our area except for Franklin being over the 10% mark. Cerro Gordo County’s 14-day rate is now at 15.9%, while Hancock County has the highest rate at 19.7%.

In north-central Iowa’s Regional Medical Coordination Center area, 39 people are hospitalized, with eight being in an intensive care unit and four on a ventilator. 

Looking at data statewide in the same 24-hour period, 22 more people died to bring the death toll to 1755. 1516 more people have been diagnosed with COVID for a total of 133,229. 1609 more people have recovered for a total of 95,422.

A new record high of hospitalizations in Iowa has been recorded with 730 people now in the hospital because of COVD, up from 718 yesterday. 170 of those patients are in the ICU, and 59 are on ventilators.