(Radio Iowa) – For three consecutive days, the number of Covid patients in Iowa hospitals has dipped below 100. The last time Iowa had fewer than 100 hospital patients being treated for the virus was in early April of last year. On Tuesday night, the state website indicated 95 Covid patients were hospitalized in Iowa. Department of Public Health director Kelly Garcia says having fewer than 100 Iowans hospitalized with Covid-19 is a significant milestone.

The pace of vaccinations in Iowa has been lagging for several weeks. Garcia says her agency will continue to work with local partners to educate and answer any questions Iowans may have so they can feel confident about getting vaccinated.

About 58 percent of eligible Iowans have had at least one Covid shot. Infectious disease specialists warn if Iowa’s vaccination rate doesn’t rise, more contagious variants of Covid may take hold here as is the case in Britain.