The weekly report from the Iowa Department of Public Health shows the number of Covid cases statewide has increased nearly 170 percent in the past WEEK. The number of Covid patients in Iowa hospitals has significantly increased this summer, from 46 on June 24th to 355 yesterday. Megan Schaeffer — an epidemiologist from the Polk County Health Department — estimates as many as 600 people with active infections a day, on average, may be at the State Fair this year.

Polk County officials say 95 percent of admitted COVID-19 patients in the Des Moines metro area are unvaccinated.