Two new COVID-19 deaths in Washington County and 42 across Iowa have been confirmed in the last week, while the number of hospitalizations and those in intensive care are reaching numbers not seen since last January, according to the state dashboard.

These are the first confirmed deaths in Washington County since May, bringing its total to 53, while statewide the total is 6,268. While the number of positive tests and deaths are updated weekly by the state, in Region 5 covering southeast Iowa, 30 hospitalizations were added from Wednesday to Thursday bringing the total to 130, with 19 new patients in the ICU totaling 50. Across Iowa nearly 100 hospitalizations were added in one day bringing the total to 498 with 133 in the ICU as of Thursday.

Seventy-nine percent of those hospitalized with COVID-19 were not vaccinated as well as 86% of those in the ICU, according to data released by the Iowa Department of Public Health Wednesday. They also state that the 42 additional deaths occurred over a four-week period. Washington County Public Health and IDPH encourage those 12 and older to get vaccinated, as preventing avoidable hospitalizations also helps preserve healthcare resources for other needs including illnesses, injuries, and emergencies. So far over 60% of Iowans 12 and older are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.