(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Public Health today (Wednesday) released its first weekly COVID-19 data update after the state’s emergency proclamation expired Tuesday night. The new data dashboard reports 7,375 positive virus tests in the last seven days, down from 8,370 on Monday. IDPH reported there were 119 additional deaths since the last report on Feb. 9. That brings the total number of virus deaths to 8,948 since the start of the pandemic.

The new weekly dashboard features several changes. There are links to federal government websites for hospitalization and long-term care facility data. The state is no longer requiring entities to provide positive COVID-19 test results, and long-term care facilities are no longer required to report then they have three or more infections to the state. Officials said in a news release, “IDPH began collecting COVID related data from Iowa hospitals in March 2020 to satisfy state and federal data reporting requirements throughout the pandemic response. The state is no longer requiring this reporting to occur. However, the US Department of Health and Human Services will continue to require hospital data reporting, and Iowans can access that information here.”

Health officials said the state identified an additional 6,700 positive COVID-19 tests that had not been previously reported when people received both a positive and negative test in the same day. That data has since been added to the totals reported on the new dashboard. A new feature on the health department’s website shows COVID-19 variants detected by month. The new graphic shows how alpha, delta and omicron variants moved through the state since March of 2021.

Find the new IDPH dashboard here.