DES MOINES (AP) — Iowa coronavirus spread continued at a high level Thursday with more than 2,400 new confirmed cases identified and more than 600 people hospitalized, a new high.
Iowa Department of Public Health data shows 25 counties had a 14-day positivity rate of more than 15%, an indication that virus activity is at a high level of spread across a quarter of the state’s counties.
Daily reported new cases and deaths have been trending higher for more than a month and reached new highs this week.
Over the past two weeks, the rolling average number of daily new cases has increased by 367, an increase of 33%, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University.
The state reported Thursday morning that 121,913 Iowans have been identified through testing as having contracted the virus, an increase of 2,469 cases in the past 24 hours. An additional 11 deaths were reported, increasing the death toll to 1,691.
Hospitalizations rose to a record 605. Several doctors and medical professionals told The Associated Press on Wednesday that without measures to curtail virus activity, Iowa runs the risk over overwhelming hospitals. They advice Iowans to limit going into public places, remain distant from others, avoid crowds inside buildings and wear a mask when outside the home.