A change to how the state of Iowa reports coronavirus-related deaths increased Iowa’s COVID-19 death toll to 2,898, today (Tuesday). Until Monday, the Iowa Department of Public Health only reported COVID-19 deaths if the person who died had a positive PCR test result. That method left out deaths in which a person had tested positive using an antigen test and cases in which COVID-19 was listed as the cause of death on a death record without a positive test result. The Iowa Department of Public Health said the federal system for cause-of-death did not include COVID-19 as a cause of death when the pandemic first began. Moving forward, the state of Iowa will report all COVID-19 deaths in which a health care provider reports the cause of death or underlying cause of death as coronavirus.

With that information, here is the latest data from the State: Deaths (as mentioned) total 2,898, an increase of 181 from Monday; 2,650 deaths are from underlying causes; 248 are contributing factor deaths.  Positive cases increased 1,393, to 246,237. Long-Term Care facility outbreaks have increased from 137 Monday to 141 today. LTC deaths amount to 1,127.

Hospitalizations stand at 900, with 191 COVID patients in an ICU, 111 admitted since 10-a.m. Monday, and 111 patients are on a ventilator. Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa report 57 COVID patients, 20 of whom are in an ICU, eight were recently admitted, and 10 are on a ventilator. Hospitalization analysis shows 645 patients were hospitalized with a primary COVID-19 diagnosis, while 255 were hospitalized for another reason but tested positive for the virus. State data shows 63% of those hospitalized are 60 or older, with 34% of the total hospitalized over the age of 79.

State data shows 1,255,014 Iowans have been tested for coronavirus. Iowa reports a 14-day positivity rate of 16% and a 7-day rate of 12.1%. Iowa reports 67 of the state’s 99 counties have a 14-day positivity rate at 15% or greater. That’s down from 74 the previous day. There are 18 counties with a rate at 20% or higher, down from 25 a day earlier. There are no longer any counties with a rate greater than 30%. Cass County’s positivity rate has fallen to 13.9%.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases; and the total number of deaths in each county (Configured by the new reporting formula):

• Cass, 876 cases; 34 deaths
• Adair, 485; 15
• Adams, 196; 2
• Audubon, 315; 6
• Guthrie, 811; 22
• Harrison County, 1,171; 46
• Madison County, 779; 6
• Mills County, 1,134; 7
• Montgomery, 556; 12
• Pottawattamie County, 7,059; 69
• Shelby County, 826; 16
• Union County,  899; 9