The Iowa Department of Public Health today (Saturday) implemented changes to the coronavirus.iowa.gov website. The state has changed how it reports positive COVID-19 cases. The health department now reports total positive cases instead of individuals positive. That has a caused a sharp increase in total positive cases overnight.

Additionally, the health department is no longer reporting 14-day positivity rates by county. This is a metric that schools used to determine if they could apply for a waiver to provide 100% online learning. A page that previously reported this data has been taken offline.

Due to the change in reporting, The IDPH on Saturday reported 27,335 new COVID-19 cases and no additional deaths, for a pandemic total of 358,957 positive cases and 5,336 deaths. Officials say 137,385 persons have recovered.

Long-Term Care facility outbreaks is down to 21 from 24 on Friday. Officials say 601 LTC patients have tested positive for the virus, and 397 have recovered. The state reports 2,139 care facility deaths.

The State data show hospitalizations were down again, from 241 Friday to 238, Saturday. COVID patients in an ICU decreased to 56 from 60. The State says 34 people with COVID symptoms were admitted to hospitals over the previous 24-hours, compared to 43 on Friday, and 24 patients were on a ventilator. In RMCC Region 4 (Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa), 11 people are hospitalized with COVID symptoms, five people are in an ICU, one person was admitted over the past 24-hours, and two people are on a ventilator.

Iowa’s 14-day positivity rate is at 4.3%, and the 7-day average is now 3.8%. Health department data shows 235,716 Iowans have been tested for the virus, while 1,294,698 tests have been administered.

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, 1,310 cases; {+69}; 48 deaths
• Adair, 904; {+117}; 26
• Adams, 325 {+8}; 3
• Audubon, 481 {+16}; 9
• Guthrie, 1,152 {+78}; 28
• Harrison County, 1,775; {+124}; 68
• Madison County, 1,512; {+133}; 17
• Mills County, 1,611; {+150}; 20
• Montgomery, 1,033; {+75}; 36
• Pottawattamie County, 10,634; {+971}; 140
• Shelby County, 1,190; {+54}; 32
• Union County,  1,254; {+77}; 31