Lack of COVID-19 at Nursing Homes Reflection of Iowa's Recovery from Virus

DES MOINES, Iowa - The state of COVID-19 at long term care centers is a reflection of Iowa's ongoing recovery from the virus.

As of Friday morning, there are zero outbreaks at any of the centers after there were more than 150 at the peak of the pandemic late last year.

Governor Kim Reynolds says more than 90 percent of nursing home residents have been vaccinated for the virus.

And nursing homes account for almost 40 percent of COVID-19 deaths in the state, but the death rate is another category that is sharply down in recent weeks.

The New York Times tracker shows that over the past week, there has been an average of 432 COVID-19 cases per day in Iowa, a decrease of 10 percent from the average two weeks earlier.

Iowa's consistent downward trend with the virus mirrors a national trend.

According to New York Times data, case numbers across the country are dropping steadily as the pace of vaccination continues to increase.

More than 20 percent of people have received at least one dose of a vaccine. States continue to expand their lists of people eligible to get a shot, including in Iowa, where Governor Reynolds plans to open vaccines to all adults on April 5th.


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