Iowa’s Coronavirus dashboard today (Tuesday, 10-a.m.), shows there are 954 new cases of COVID-19, for a total to-date of 306,233, and eight additional deaths, for a total of 4,332. The 14-day positivity rate is down from 12.9% Monday to 12% today. Hospitalizations are up from 483 yesterday to 490 today. There are 85 COVID patients in an ICU, 56 were admitted since 10-a.m. Monday, and 36 are on ventilators. In RMCC Region 4 (western/southwest Iowa hospitals), 37 are hospitalized with COVID symptoms, 12 are in an ICU, two people were admitted, and six are on a ventilator.

The IDPH says 1.426-million Iowans have been tested for the virus, and 268,882 have recovered. Officials say underlying causes account for 3,959 deaths, while COVID was a contributing factor in 373 deaths. Lont-Term Care (LTC) facility deaths amount of 1,777. Long-Term Care facility data show outbreaks are down from 76 Monday to 72, today. The number of patients and staff who have tested positive is down from 1,938 Monday to 1,825 today.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County; The # of new cases since yesterday {+} – if any; and the total number of deaths in each county to date:

• Cass, 1,128 cases; {+2}; 41 deaths
• Adair, 688; {+2}; 20
• Adams, 295; {+0}; 3
• Audubon, 416; {+4}; 8
• Guthrie, 1,030 {+3}; 24
• Harrison County, 1,548; {+1}; 62
• Madison County, 1,199; {+11}; 9
• Mills County, 1,362; {+2}; 16
• Montgomery, 848; {+8}; 22
• Pottawattamie County, 8,959; {+17}; 112
• Shelby County, 1020; {+7}; 26
• Union County,  1,082; {+1}; 22

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa State University mathematician is developing a way to track the spread of COVID-19 that factors in people’s social interactions more realistically. I-S-U researcher Claus Kadelka says he noticed early in the pandemic that many models assume people engage in random social interactions. Kadelka says most people practice homophily, or the tendency to associate with people who share the same opinions or beliefs. Kadleka says, “You and I, we have our friends, we have our family, we have our co-workers that we’re much more likely to interact with than a random stranger in our community.”

Based on his model, he says it may make sense to vaccinate younger, lower-risk people first, because they have substantially more social contacts and tend to spread the virus far more than older high-risk people. According to his model, Kadelka says there will likely be clusters of people who won’t want to get the vaccine, meaning, government officials may need to aim to vaccinate more than 60- to 70-percent of the population. “It shows you that these numbers that are being floated around by a lot of researchers, essentially that just, base things on simple models, they’re probably an underestimate,” he says.

He says policymakers should focus on getting more data on people’s social interactions during the pandemic before making key decisions.

(By Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus in Iowa rose over a 24-hour period this weekend, but remained below the threshold of 500 that plagued the state since October. The Iowa Department of Public Health said 484 people were being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals on Sunday, up 10 from Saturday but down from 505 on Friday. Saturday’s number of 474 was the first time since Oct. 18 that the number of people hospitalized was below 500. The state reported 730 new cases and two deaths Sunday to give Iowa a total of 304,852 cases and 4,323 deaths since the pandemic began.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A Cedar Rapids man has been arrested by federal agents on suspicion of being among those who stormed the U.S. Capitol during a deadly pro-Trump insurrection on Jan. 6. The FBI in Omaha, Nebraska, said in a news release that Leo Christopher Kelly was arrested Monday on a federal warrant charging him with three counts: knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building without lawful authority, violent entry with the intent to disrupt the orderly conduct of official business and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Kelly is the second Iowa man to be arrested in connection with the Washington, D.C., riot. Douglas Jensen surrendered to police in his hometown of Des Moines on Jan. 8.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A new trial likely won’t be held until late this year for a man whose murder conviction in the gruesome 2017 stabbing of his ex-girlfriend was overturned. The Gazette reports that attorneys for 30-year-old Gregory Davis and prosecutors agreed last week that a new trial won’t be possible until October or November. Davis’ new trial had been set to begin Feb. 1 after the Iowa Supreme Court tossed out his original murder conviction last November, ruling that he didn’t get a fair trial. Davis was convicted in 2018 of first-degree murder and other counts in the death of 29-year-old Carrie Davis, whose body was found rolled in a blanket inside a trailer in Marion.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot will grow to an estimated $730 million after there were no winners Saturday for the lottery’s top prize. The results come as there was also no winner of the Mega Millions jackpot on Friday. That top prize is now estimated at $850 million. It’s been nearly two years since a lottery jackpot has grown so large. The Powerball’s $730 million top prize would be the fifth-largest ever if a lottery player strikes big in Wednesday’s drawing. The Mega Millions’ $850 million jackpot would be the third-largest ever for the drawing on Tuesday.