Iowa’s Coronavirus dashboard today (Wednesday), shows a record 47 additional deaths are attributed to COVID-19 since Tuesday’s 10-a.m. report, for a total of 2,271. The previous record of 40 deaths was reported Nov. 18th.  There are two more deaths to report in Cass County, for a total of 21, and one more in each of Adair, Adams, Mills, Pottawattamie and Shelby Counties.

Deaths reported on an individual day can be affected by delays in completion of death certificates and other factors, but the data from the state Department of Public Health on Wednesday makes clear Iowa is continuing to see an increase in deaths from the virus. Johns Hopkins University says the seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in Iowa has risen over the past two weeks from nearly 16 deaths per day on Nov. 10 to 28 deaths per day on Nov. 24. In the month of November alone, 555 people in Iowa have died of COVID-19.

The number of deaths attributed to a pre-existing condition statewide are at 1,321, while deaths at Long-Term Care facilities amount to 1,023. Six more long-term care facilities report COVID-19 outbreaks, bringing the total to 149. Those care facilities report 4,604 positive cases and 1,899 recovered. Cass County’s three LTC facilities have a total of 207 confirmed positive cases and 123 recovered.

Officials say there have been 3,435 new confirmed, Positive cases of the virus reported since yesterday, for a total since the pandemic began, of 218,947. Cass County has 30 new, Positive cases of COVID, for a total of 785.

Hospitalizations have fallen from 1,351 yesterday to 1,305 today. There are: 269 patients in intensive care (6 less than Tue.); 198 patients admitted in the last 24 hours, up 33 from a day earlier, and there are 150 people on a ventilator, five less than Tuesday. In western/southwestern Iowa: there are 64 COVID patients in the hospital (down from 71 Tues.); 19 are in an ICU; six people were admitted to a hospital, and eight people are on a ventilator.

The state’s data shows that 1,185,853 Iowans have been tested for coronavirus. Test results received yesterday amounted to 7,167, with 5,551 coming back Negative and 1,576 Positive. Iowa’s statewide 14-day positivity rate continues to decline, now at 19.1%. That’s down from 19.7% a day earlier. The Individual Positivity rate is 18.5%. Cass County’s Positivity rate is at 20.3%. Union County has the highest rate in southwest Iowa, at 24.2%. Audubon County is the lowest, at 11.1%.

The IDPH says 122,047 Iowans have recovered from the virus. 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, 785 cases {+30}; 497 recovered; 21 deaths
• Adair, 422 {+7}; 195; 8
• Adams, 161 {+6}; 83; 2
• Audubon, 285 {+2}; 160; 1
• Guthrie, 725 {+17); 403; 15
• Harrison County, 1,024; 691; 28
• Madison County, 662 {+14}; 371; 4
• Mills County, 999 {+6}; 422; 7
• Montgomery, 438 {+9}; 202; 10
• Pottawattamie County, 5,925 {+58]; 3,403; 67
• Shelby County, 735 {+8}; 437; 6
• Union County,  734 {+24}; 279; 6