DES MOINES (AP) — The spread of the coronavirus continued at a rapid pace in Iowa over the Labor Day holiday as state data on Tuesday revealed increases in hospitalizations and rising numbers of patients treated for the virus in intensive care.
The Iowa Department of Public Health reported there were 345 new confirmed cases, reflecting a smaller number due to no testing on Labor Day. Six more people died, increasing the total to 1,173.
Numbers late last week and over the weekend, however, remained high with more than 1,000 new cases each day on Friday and Saturday. Over the past seven days the state averaged 750 new confirmed cases a day, an increase of 26% from the average two weeks earlier.
The state average positivity rate over 14 days is 10.5%, a high level when placed in context of direction from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommends mitigation measures to slow virus spread above 5%.
State data also shows continued increase in patients hospitalized because of the coronavirus, with 326 people in hospitals on Tuesday up from 311 the day before. Numbers of patients admitted in the past 24 hours and in intensive care units also increased.