Iowa saw its biggest one-day increase of positive COVID-19 cases, as the state enters its second month since the first coronavirus case was reported among Iowans.
The increase in cases comes as the state released a new section for data distribution about the pandemic in Iowa. It includes a county-by-county breakdown of how many positive and negative tests have been confirmed, as well as information about who is testing positive in those communities. It's the most in-depth data the state has released since the spread of coronavirus.
Local 5 looked through the various elements of the data, and here's what we found from the data that was reported as of Monday at 10 a.m.
Minority communities hit hard by virus
While Latinos and Hispanic Iowans make up about six percent of the state's population, 16.4 percent of that ethnicity have tested positive or have passed away from COVID-19. African-American Iowans also are impacted by the disease, with 8.7 percent of that community afflicted with coronavirus. Just four percent of Iowans are African-American. That data is part of a growing trend in other communities across the nation where African-Americans are disproportionately hit by the virus.
Linn County, home to most positive cases, has a 34% recovery rate from COVID-19
A long-term care facility outbreak has been responsible for a majority of the deaths reported in Linn County, but just 91 Iowans out of the 265 positive cases have recovered, according to state public health officials. A total of 1,628 people have been tested in the county. 226,706 people live in the county.
Negative tests continue to outweigh positive COVID-19 tests
State lab testing capacity has increased since the beginning of the pandemic in Iowa, though many Iowans continue to send their tests to private labs. Lab testing data provided by the state indicates the state has not reached its peak of positive cases.
Long-term care facility outbreaks put a strain on resources
Six different outbreaks have been reported at facilities where Iowa's most vulnerable live. Even though the facilities have been on lockdown for more than a month, limiting visitors and instituting new guidelines for staff members, 202 residents and staff members in those six facilities have come down with COVID-19. Heritage Specialty Care in Cedar Rapids has the most cases, with 102 reporting positive for the virus.
Central and northeastern Iowa regions continue to approach benchmark to trigger more mitigation efforts, like "shelter-in-place"
Public health officials revealed a few weeks ago a 12-point scale system they are using to assess whether or not to trigger certain mitigation efforts, like shelter-in-place, during the coronavirus pandemic. Regions 1 and 6, as of Tuesday evening, are at a 9 out of 10. Reaching a 10 means triggering a shelter in place order, which Gov. Kim Reynolds has not ruled out for regions in Iowa.
The website is supposed to be updated daily with the latest information. Iowa hospitals have now changed the way they report their hospitalization status during the pandemic.
“Previously we had been asking public health agencies to follow up with patients to determine hospitalization status,” said Sarah Reisetter with IDPH last week. “Over the course of the last weekend, we put out a mandatory reporting order and we’re asking hospitals to report that information to us directly.”