West DSM News

The number of unvaccinated people suffering from COVID-19 in Iowa continues to climb, as does the number of weekly reported positive case, according to Iowa's latest figures.

The number of people getting vaccinated in Iowa also is increasing, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health's COVID-19 Summary Dashboard.

Former Iowa House District 39 House Rep. Karin Derry | iowahouse.org/

Almost 8,120 people tested positive for COVID in the past seven days, about 700 more than tested positive after the seven-day period that ended Sept. 3. Almost 580 COVID patients currently are hospitalized, more than 50 more than were hospitalized on Sept. 3, and 158 are in ICU beds, 16 more than were in ICU on Sept. 3.

Thirty have died from COVID-19 in the past seven days, an increase from the four who had died in the seven-day period ending Sept. 3.

The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Iowa reached 450,915 in the past seven days, up significantly from the 444,847 positive cases in the state by Sept. 3.

The state's summary releases data three times per week.

The unvaccinated continue to make up the vast majority of those hospitalized with COVID-19 in Iowa. Almost 90% of COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit beds in the state are not vaccinated and almost 80% of all hospitalized COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated, according to the state's dashboard. Those figures have not increased significantly since Sept. 3.

The number vaccinated in the state also is up. As of the past seven days, more than 3.3 million vaccine doses have been administered in the state with more than 64% of those 18 and older vaccinated and almost 67% of those 12 and older with at least one dose. Both numbers have since increased slightly, according to the latest data.

State and local officials have been encouraging even better numbers.

Heather Meador with Linn County Public Health told KCRG ABC 9 that more people need to be tested as COVID-19 continues to spread in Iowa.

“School started and if you look at our website, you’re going to see that here in Linn County, and it’s the same thing across the state, our case numbers are going up," Meador said in KCRG's Sept. 2 news story. "We have a lot more people that are being diagnosed. That means a lot more people are in contact with individuals that have tested positive for COVID-19.”

"Hey, Iowa," former Iowa House District 39 state Rep. Karin Derry said in a Saturday, Sept. 4, Twitter post. "We’re out of ICU beds. Please get vaccinated - if not for yourself, do it for your family and friends. Please."