The Iowa Department of Public Health’s Coronavirus dashboard, today (Wednesday, 10-a.m.) shows there are 1,197 new, positive cases of COVID-19 in test results since 10-a.m. Tuesday, for a pandemic total of 321,536. The IDPH says there were 56 additional deaths recorded over the previous 24 hours, for a pandemic total of 4,975. Officials attributed 4,504 deaths to an Underlying Cause, while COVID was a contributing factor in 471 deaths. In western and southwest Iowa, there was one new death in Cass County (for total of 46), and Shelby County (30 total); Two more deaths in each of: Harrison (67 total); Mills (20 deaths); Montgomery (32); Pottawattamie County (129), and Union County (29 total).

Long-Term Care (LTC) facility data, Wednesday, show there are 48 current outbreaks among those facilities in Iowa. Those facilities account for 1,431 of Iowa’s positive cases, while 887 LTC patients have recovered from the virus. LTC deaths make up 2,043 of the State’s total number of deaths.

The IDPH reports there are 382 people hospitalized with COVID symptoms (compared to 390, yesterday). Officials say 86 COVID patents are in an intensive care unit (ICU), the number of patients admitted over the past 24-hours is up from 49 Tuesday to 58 today, and there are 34 people on a ventilator. In RMCC Region 4 (Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa),  22 are hospitalized with COVID symptoms, eight are in an ICU, no one was admitted since 10-a.m. Tuesday, and three people are on a ventilator.

The Health Dept. reports also, 263,248 doses of the vaccine have been administered. Of those doses, 135,156 persons have received their first, or initial dose, while 64,046 have received their second dose.  The State’s 14-day positivity rate is 9.5%, and the seven-day average is 7.7%. A total of 288,312 Iowans have recovered from the virus.

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, 1,189 cases; {+7}; 46 deaths
• Adair, 711; {+4}; 24
• Adams, 310; {+1}; 3
• Audubon, 439 {+5}; 9
• Guthrie, 1,059 {+2}; 27
• Harrison County, 1,618; {+4}; 67
• Madison County, 1,318; {+10}; 12
• Mills County, 1,414; {+8}; 20
• Montgomery, 928; {+6}; 32
• Pottawattamie County, 9,400; {+40}; 129
• Shelby County, 1,104; {+0}; 30
• Union County,  1,151; {+5}; 29