DES MOINES, Iowa - Iowa's COVID-19 numbers continue to be high, but are trending down.
There's been a steep drop in new daily cases since their peak in mid-November, although there's also been a overall decline in testing since the holiday weekend.
Hospitalizations continue to slope downward, while nursing home outbreaks are high but stabilizing in recent days.
Daily reported deaths have also tumbled, although the CDC pegs Iowa with the 7th highest death rates in the last seven days.
The declines in hospitalizations and deaths in Iowa come as the nation overall set a record high in both categories on Wednesday.
All but 12 of Iowa's 99 counties (85 percent) still have a COVID-19 positivity levels high enough for schools to apply for online only classes.
The impact of Thanksgiving holiday travel and gathering on COVID-19 numbers is not yet know. Some medical experts say the next one to two weeks will be critical in determining virus levels.