DES MOINES, Iowa - New COVID-19 cases have plateaued in Iowa after sharply dropping since a peak in the outbreak late last year.
The state ranks in the middle of the pack in the New York Times case count and reflects a national trend of cases holding steady over the past week.
Iowa also ranks in the middle of the pack (25th) among states in its death rate from the virus.
The 14-day average for cases and deaths still shows a downward trend for the state, although progress seems to have stalled in the last week.
As of Tuesday morning, the state is reporting a seven-day positivity rate on 4.7 percent, and a 14-day rate of 4.3 percent.
The state has also stopped reporting positivity rates by county, a metric that had been used by school districts to determine when online only classes would be required.
Iowa continues to perform well in delivering first COVID-19 vaccines to people, with only 12 states ranking higher. But the state ranks 49th for delivering a second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
The state Department of Public Health announced Monday that Iowa would be receiving a total of 100,000 vaccines this week, including Pfizer and Moderna vaccines along with more than 25,000 of the single dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine.