The State of Iowa’s coronavirus dashboard today (10-a.m., Wednesday), indicates there have been 123 additional, total deaths since Tuesday, for a pandemic total of 3,021.  The IDPH says 2,768 deaths are from underlying causes; 253 are contributing factor deaths. In this area: Cass County has one additional death (for a total of 35); Harrison County has one more death (47 total); Mills County also has one more death (for a total of 8).

The sharp increase in reported deaths may be due to the state’s change in reporting methods. The health department announced Monday that a change to how the state reports coronavirus-related deaths increased Iowa’s COVID-19 death toll. Prior to the announcement, the health department only reported COVID-19 deaths if the person who died had a positive PCR test result. That method left out deaths in which a person had tested positive using an antigen test and cases in which COVID-19 was listed as the cause of death on a death record without a positive test result.

Positive cases increased 2,545, to 248,782. Long-Term Care facility outbreaks  are 141. LTC deaths amount to 1,127. In our area, Cass County has 164 positive cases of COVID-19 among two facilities, with 96 recovered. Pottawattamie County has 267 cases among three facilities, and 151 recovered. Montgomery County has 44 positive cases among three facilities, and 10 recovered.

Hospitalizations are at 894 (6 less than Tuesday), with 196 COVID patients in an ICU (compared to 191 Tues.); 141 were admitted to a hospital with COVID symptoms (Compared to 111 previously), and 120 patients are on a ventilator (compared to 111 Tuesday). Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa report 53 COVID patients (4 less than Tues.), 16 are in an ICU (compared to 20 yesterday), five people were admitted (Compared to 8 Tuesday), and nine are on a ventilator (1 less than yesterday).

State data shows 1,261,909 Iowans have been tested for coronavirus, with a total of 173,439 recovered. Iowa reports a 14-day positivity rate of 15.8% and a 7-day rate of 11.7%.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases; The # of new cases since yesterday {+}; and the total number of deaths in each county (Configured by the new reporting formula):

• Cass, 894 cases; {+18}; 34 deaths
• Adair, 491; {+6}; 15
• Adams, 198; {+2}; 2
• Audubon, 318; {+3}; 6
• Guthrie, 822; {+11}; 22
• Harrison County, 1,179; {+8}; 46
• Madison County, 791; {+12}; 6
• Mills County, 1,140; {+6}; 7
• Montgomery, 567; {+11}; 12
• Pottawattamie County, 7,121; {+62}; 69
• Shelby County, 837; {+11}; 16
• Union County,  917; {+18}; 9