Iowa nears 1M-shot marker

The number of completed COVID-19 vaccinations in Iowa are about to hit a big one.

As of Tuesday evening, 999,451 Iowans had received either their second shot of the two-dose vaccine or the one-dose shot. That figure was up from 895,872 the previous week. According to the state data, 339,496 Iowans had received one dose of either the two-shot Moderna or Pfizer vaccines.

Locally, Clay County had initiated 1,034 vaccine series and completed 6,600, while O'Brien County had initiated 824 series and completed 4,021. O'Brien County and Clay County administered 225 and 50 doses, respectively, of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine before rollout was halted to review six cases of blood clotting-related issues. However, administration of the vaccine has resumed following recommendation from the CDC.

Local COVID-19 positivity rates decreased during the past week. O'Brien County's seven-day number fell from 4 percent on April 20 to 3 percent on April 27, while Clay County's positivity rate decreased from 5 percent to 3 percent over that same time period. Statewide numbers dipped from 4.4 percent to 3.8 percent.

Coronavirus-related deaths remained unchanged in O'Brien County at 60 and 25 in Clay County. Statewide fatalities jumped from 5,893 last week to 5,930 this week.

Confirmed infections since the pandemic began tallied 2,134 in O'Brien County, 2,247 in Clay County and 393,398 statewide. Recoveries in that same order were 1,864, 1,990 and 345,380.

As of Sunday, there were 179 coronavirus-related hospitalizations in Iowa, down from 215 the previous week. Neither O'Brien County nor Clay County reported any hospitalizations.