Des Moines County's COVID cases fall 53.5%; Iowa cases plummet 27.6%
Iowa reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 2,042 new cases. That's down 27.6% from the previous week's tally of 2,821 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Iowa ranked 40th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 19.4% from the week before, with 323,859 cases reported. With 0.95% of the country's population, Iowa had 0.63% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 10 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
Des Moines County reported 40 cases and two deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 86 cases and one death. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 10,453 cases and 151 deaths.
Henry County reported 23 cases and no deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 20 cases and no deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 6,177 cases and 78 deaths.
Louisa County reported nine cases and no deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported five cases and no deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 2,787 cases and 64 deaths.
Henderson County reported seven cases and no deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 14 cases and no deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 1,414 cases and 19 deaths.
Across Iowa, cases fell in 72 counties, with the best declines in Polk County, with 282 cases from 356 a week earlier; in Scott County, with 93 cases from 150; and in Des Moines County, with 40 cases from 86.
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Within Iowa, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Hardin County with 196 cases per 100,000 per week; Wayne County with 171; and Jefferson County with 164. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
Adding the most new cases overall were Polk County, with 282 cases; Linn County, with 202 cases; and Johnson County, with 151. Weekly case counts rose in 23 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Muscatine, Buchanan and Hardin counties.
In Iowa, 26 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 57 people were reported dead.
A total of 856,096 people in Iowa have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 10,077 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 96,397,885 people have tested positive and 1,059,605 people have died.
>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States
Iowa's COVID-19 hospital admissions rising
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Oct. 2. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
Last week: 344
The week before that: 314
Four weeks ago: 412
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
Last week: 51,355
The week before that: 53,692
Four weeks ago: 61,434
Hospitals in 17 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 25 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 17 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.
The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Des Moines County reported 40 additional COVID-19 cases this week
