Johnson County's COVID cases fall 23.5%; Iowa cases surge 90.7%

Mike Stucka USA TODAY NETWORK
·3 min read
In 2020, the COVID pandemic cancelled graduations across the country. In Florida, Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School came up with an alternative: a beach walk in their caps and gowns 6feet apart. The event was so popular, it is now a tradition the day before their actual graduation.
In 2020, the COVID pandemic cancelled graduations across the country. In Florida, Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School came up with an alternative: a beach walk in their caps and gowns 6feet apart. The event was so popular, it is now a tradition the day before their actual graduation.

New coronavirus cases leaped in Iowa in the week ending Sunday, rising 90.7% as 3,960 cases were reported. The previous week had 2,077 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Iowa ranked 36th 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 11.3% from the week before, with 702,236 cases reported. With 0.95% of the country's population, Iowa had 0.56% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 32 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Johns Hopkins University has been getting data on an erratic schedule from Iowa, skewing week-to-week comparisons.

Johnson County reported 484 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 633 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 36,658 cases and 153 deaths.

Washington County reported 29 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 12 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 5,722 cases and 79 deaths.

Within Iowa, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Johnson County with 320 cases per 100,000 per week; Jones County with 213; and Poweshiek County with 189. 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 837 cases; Johnson County, with 484 cases; and Linn County, with 367. Weekly case counts rose in 57 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Polk, Story and Warren counties.

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

Iowa ranked 33rd among states in share of people receiving at least one shot, with 68% of its residents at least partially vaccinated. The national rate is 77.7%, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are the most used in the United States, require two doses administered a few weeks apart.

In the week ending Wednesday, Iowa reported administering another 26,600 vaccine doses, including 2,056 first doses. In the previous week, the state administered 34,998 vaccine doses, including 2,374 first doses. In all, Iowa reported it has administered 5,124,618 total doses.

Across Iowa, cases fell in 33 counties, with the best declines in Johnson County, with 484 cases from 633 a week earlier; in Scott County, with 247 cases from 304; and in Linn County, with 367 cases from 399.

In Iowa, 16 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 16 people were reported dead.

A total of 776,165 people in Iowa have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 9,587 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 83,984,644 people have tested positive and 1,004,733 people have died.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

Iowa's COVID-19 hospital admissions falling

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, May 29.

Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

  • Last week: 244

  • The week before that: 286

  • Four weeks ago: 176

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

  • Last week: 55,952

  • The week before that: 52,036

  • Four weeks ago: 41,964

 

Hospitals in 34 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 33 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 35 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 Iowa City Press-Citizen: Johnson County reported 484 additional COVID-19 cases this week