DES MOINES, Iowa - Positive cases of COVID-19 could easily pass 28,000 this weekend in Iowa.
There were 273 new cases were reported by early Saturday morning, after 493 were reported Friday at 10 a.m.
A number of bars around the state have voluntarily closed after noticing the recent rise in cases, along with more severe spikes of the virus in other states. Cases have been spiking lately in Iowa with higher number reported in several counties.
Almost 6,400 tests COVID-19 tests were performed Friday in Iowa, the third-highest total since the state started conducting them in March.
Daily reported deaths and hospitalizations have generally been falling over the past several weeks.
Thursday, Governor Kim Reynolds defended the state's management of COVID-19, noting the overall positive case rate has gone from a peak of 30-percent earlier this year, to less than 10-percent. The positive rate Friday was 5.9 percent.
Iowa officials have acknowledged a rise in cases among adults age 18-40.
Reynolds said that age group has always led others, in terms of positive cases. The positive rate among this group has gone from 41-percent in April to 45-percent in May, and 55-percent this month, in June.
As of early Saturday morning, there were 27,828 new cases of COVID-19 in Iowa, out of 286,247 total tests conducted.
The state is reporting COVID-19 outbreaks at 26 long term care centers, down five from earlier in the week. There have been 362 long term care center deaths, accounting for 51 percent of the state total.
The numbers for the state only represent COVID-19 figures compiled by the Iowa Department of Public Health. Unreported cases and deaths could make the actual figures different.