COVID update: 4 deaths added overnight in Black Hawk Co.

WTERTERLOO – Iowa’s rate of coronavirus spread, a measure of how fast the virus is growing, was the lowest in the U.S. on Wednesday — 0.91, according to rt.live. When the value is below 1, the virus will stop spreading, according to the metric.

• Nonetheless, 3% of Iowa’s total population were currently infected with coronavirus as of Wednesday. More than 7% of the state’s residents have tested positive since March.
• Hospitalizations in Northeast Iowa and statewide dropped or remained flat Wednesday, though overall, hospitalizations were up 51% over last week, and deaths were up 75%, according to the Covid Tracking Project.
• Four deaths were added to Black Hawk County’s total Wednesday for a total of 131 people who have died of COVID-19 since March. Butler County also added one death, its second in as many days, for a total of five. Grundy County added one death for a total of 11.
• Fayette and Floyd counties each surpassed 1,000 cases in their counties Wednesday, tied at 1,002. That’s 5.1% of Fayette County residents and 6.5% of Floyd County residents that have had the virus.
• The Deery Suites at Western Home is Black Hawk County’s latest long-term care facility outbreak, with 9 confirmed cases. The county now has seven facilities in outbreak status. Creekside Living in Grundy Center is Grundy County’s latest facility outbreak.
• Iowa is now recording an average of 21 deaths per day. The state recorded a high of 29 deaths on Nov. 10, Nov. 12 and Nov. 19.
• Another inmate has died at Anamosa’s state prison — Frederick Lewis, 68 — bringing that prison’s total to five deaths.
• The Test Iowa site in Waterloo will close for Thanksgiving Day, the governor’s office announced. It will be open until 4 p.m. Wednesday, and reopen on Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.