Iowa virus deaths remain above 20 for third day

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa posted 22 additional deaths from the coronavirus, the third consecutive day of more than 20 deaths and raising the state’s death toll to 2,449. The seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in Iowa has risen over the past two weeks from nearly 22 deaths per day on Nov. 17 to 29 deaths per day on Dec. 1. Johns Hopkins University data shows Iowa’s death count was the 21st highest per capita at 77.6 deaths per 100,000 people. More than 2,900 additional confirmed coronavirus cases were posted on Wednesday and hospitalizations remained high with 1,162 people in Iowa hospitals with COVID-19. State data shows 181 patients were admitted in the previous 24 hours, an increase from recent days.