Northwest Iowa– There have been no COVID-related deaths, but seventy-three new positive COVID tests in the four-county area of O’Brien, Osceola, Sioux and Lyon Counties in the past week, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.
179 people have lost their lives due to COVID-related illness since the pandemic began, the same total number reported early last week. 69 Sioux County residents have perished, along with 54 from O’Brien County, 41 from Lyon County and 15 from Osceola County since the coronavirus pandemic started a year ago.
As for positive cases of COVID, 31 were reported in Sioux County in the past seven days, bringing their total number to 5,020 in the past year. O’Brien had an additional 23 positive test results, bringing their total to 2,007. Lyon County reports an additional 17 positive tests, for a total of 1,484, and Osceola County added 2 new positive tests for a total of 710 since the pandemic began.
It should be noted that not too many weeks ago we were reporting seventy or more positive tests in the area each day. That number now is from the past seven days as vaccinations continue throughout northwest Iowa.
