One person from Marion County has died from coronavirus over the past week.  That’s one of 16 new deaths reported Wednesday (8/18) by the Iowa Department of Public Health.  The state’s death total for the pandemic now stands at 6226.  The number of positive COVID-19 tests in Iowa continues to rise.  As of Wednesday, another 5697 Iowans have tested positive for a pandemic total of 392,970.  81 new positive tests have been reported in Marion County, 79 in Wapello County, 67 in Jasper County, 35 in Mahaska County, 24 in Poweshiek County, 20 in Keokuk County and eleven new positive COVID-19 tests in Monroe County.

The number of people in Iowa hospitalized with COVID-19 has risen over the past week.  As of Wednesday afternoon (8/18), 396 Iowans were hospitalized with coronavirus—that’s 41 more than last week. Seven people in Jasper County are hospitalized with COVID-19, with three in Marion County, two in both Mahaska and Wapello Counties, one each in Poweshiek and Monroe Counties and none in Keokuk County.  There are also 99 people in Iowa in the intensive care unit with coronavirus—down four from last week.