Iowa’s Coronavirus dashboard today (Wednesday), showed 40 additional deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 since Tuesday’s 10-a.m. report, for a total of 2,064. The number of deaths attributed to a pre-existing conditions statewide are 1,284, while deaths at Long-Term Care facilities amount to 961, 16 more than yesterday. There is one more death to report in Cass County, for a total of 17; One more death in each of Harrison, Mills and Montgomery Counties, while Pottawattamie County has two more deaths reported.

Officials say there have been 3,896 new confirmed, Positive cases of the virus reported since 10-a.m. Tuesday, for a total since the pandemic began, of 194,479. Cass County has seven new, Positive cases of COVID, for a total of 669. Double-digit Positive case increases were reported in Guthrie, Harrison, Madison, Mills, Montgomery, Pottawattamie, Shelby and Union Counties. (See the list below)

There are 94 Long-Term Care facility (LTC) outbreaks, two less than yesterday. Those care facilities report 2,785 positive cases and 1,397 recovered. Cass County’s three LTC facilities have a total of 146 confirmed positive cases (Atlantic Specialty Care, 78; Griswold Rehab & HCC, 54, Heritage House, 14), and 69 recoveries. Harrison County has two LTC facility outbreaks, for a total of 206 confirmed positive cases (Longview Home, Inc., 130; Dunlap Specialty Care, 76), and 170 recovered .

Hospitalization rates continue to climb, from 1,510 on Tuesday to a record 1,527 today. The IDPH says 283 COVID patients are in the ICU (5 less than before), 234 patients were admitted to a hospital (compared to 215 yesterday), and there are four more people on a ventilator, for a total of 134. In western/southwestern Iowa: there are 64 COVID patients in the hospital (4 less than yesterday); 20 are in an ICU (3 less than before), six people were admitted to a hospital, and there are seven people a ventilator.

The state’s data shows that 1,123,456 Iowans have been tested for coronavirus. Test results received yesterday amounted to 8,110, with 5,931 coming back Negative and 2,133 Positive.  The total number of Negative results since the beginning of the pandemic is 927,153. The state receives test results from prior days and adds them to the overall total. Iowa’s 14-day positivity rate is 22.5%, and the Individual Positivity rate is 17.3%. The IDPH says 111,284 Iowans have recovered from the virus.

There are 93 Iowa counties with a 14-day positivity rate at 15% or higher. Public schools in those counties can apply for a waiver to provide 100% online instruction. Seventy-four counties report a rate greater than 20%. Four counties report a rate greater than 30%. Page and Calhoun counties report a positivity rate above 40%.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases in each county, along with the 24-hour change in case numbers {+#}; the number of persons recovered, and the total number of [deaths] (if any), since the pandemic began,

• Cass, 669 cases {+7}; 443 recovered; 17 deaths
• Adair, 364 {+8}; 149; 5
• Adams, 142 {+4}; 69; 1
• Audubon, 269 {+6}; 135; 1
• Guthrie, 639 {+15); 362; 15
• Harrison County, 940 {+11}; 610; 26
• Madison County, 582 {+12}; 346; 4
• Mills County, 870 {+14}; 351; 5
• Montgomery, 381 {+17}; 202; 10
• Pottawattamie County, 5,120 {+74]; 3,182; 58
• Shelby County, 668 {+17}; 436; 3
• Union County,  584 {+13}; 258; 6