Northwest Iowa — The number of new positive COVID tests in our four-county area during the past seven days is down, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.
During the past week 126 new positives were reported in the four-county area of O’Brien, Sioux, Osceola and Lyon, compared to 156 for the week before. That amounts to about a 19% reduction. Sioux County reports 31, which is down 18 cases, while Lyon County reported 34, which is 16 fewer positives than the week before. The other two counties showed a slight uptick in positive results, however. O’Brien County reports an increase of three positives over the previous week at 39, while Osceola reports 22 new positives, which is one more than the previous week.
The best news from this week’s report is that there were no additional COVID-related deaths in the four-county area during the past seven days. That good news is tempered, however, by the fact that 193 of our neighbors and friends from the four-county area have perished from COVID-related illnesses since the pandemic began.
As of midday Monday, 58.3% of O’Brien County adults (18 & over) have been fully vaccinated against the virus, with 52.% of Osceola County adults, 49.8% of Sioux County residents and 52.1% of Lyon County adults are fully vaccinated. Statewide, the highest vaccination rate is in Buena Vista County where 75.7% of adult residents have been vaccinated. The county with the lowest vaccination rate is Davis County, in far southeast Iowa, where 44.7% of adult residents are fully vaccinated.
As of midday Monday there are 598 Iowans hospitalized with COVID statewide, with 78 of those admitted within the previous 24 hours. 152 of the hospitalized are being treated in ICU’s.
