AMES, Iowa - Rankings compiled by the New York Times show that, relative to population, Ames and Iowa City have the largest number of new COVID-19 cases in the last two weeks.
Ames has 8.2 cases per 1,000 people, while Iowa City has 7.6 cases per 1,000 people. Ames has 964 recent cases. Iowa City has 1,664 recent cases.
Iowa's two largest college town areas are followed on the list by Auburn-Opelika, Alabama, which is home to Auburn University.
Ames tops the list from the New York Times of metro areas where new cases of COVID-19 are rising the fastest, while Iowa City ranks number four.
Governor Kim Reynolds ordered bars to close down in six counties Thursday, including Story County where Ames is located, and Johnson County where Iowa City sits. Reynolds said that Iowans between 19 and 24 years old made up nearly a quarter of the previous week's cases.
Iowa State University in Ames reported 1,849 people tested positive for the virus during the first week of classes. with a positivity rate of 8.8%.
The University of Iowa in Iowa City reported 607 positive cases among students and 11 among employees during the semester to date. Forty residence hall students are in quarantine and 19 are in self isolation.