Iowa posts 700 new coronavirus cases, one-day deaths at 18

State figures released Thursday show the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Iowa increased by more than 700 in the past 24 hours and that the number of deaths, hospitalizations and patients admitted to intensive care were all rising.

Iowa Department of Public Health information shows 701 confirmed cases and that 18 people died in the past 24 hours. That’s the highest single-day death number since early June.

Agency spokeswoman Amy McCoy said the increase in deaths was in part because a long-term care facility wasn’t reporting the cases in the state tracking system, so some deaths dated back to July 12.

After dropping to 34 people in intensive care units in late June, the number increased to 65 people on Wednesday. That number exceed 160 in early May when the virus was at its peak.

The number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus also had declined earlier but climbed to 195 on Wednesday. At its peak, over 400 people were hospitalized.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has declined to require mask wearing and told local officials they cannot either unless she signs a proclamation authorizing it. As young people in bars appear to be driving numbers higher, Reynolds said Tuesday it may be necessary to require bars to return to operating at 50% of capacity.

“You will not see me shut down the entire state,” she said Tuesday,