Iowa receives first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine

The continued reduction of COVID-19 activity combined with the delivery of the first wave of vaccinations is raising Christmas spirits across the state.

Governor Kim Reynolds announced on Wednesday, December 16 that the state had received and distributed the first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine and that approximately 500 frontline healthcare workers had already been vaccinated.

“For months we’ve been anxiously awaiting a vaccine, knowing that it would mark the most significant turning point in this pandemic,” said Reynolds. “It’s finally here, and with it comes the hope that life will truly return to normal in the not too distance future.”

On Friday, the FDA granted emergency approval of the Moderna vaccine, further increasing the ability for the state to distribute vaccinations, particularly in rural areas. Unlike the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna vaccine does not require ultra cold storage temperatures, making it easier to transport and store. Now that it has received approval, the Moderna vaccine will be the vaccine of choice to be distributed to the state’s rural population.

“Following FDA approval for the Moderna vaccine, the state of Iowa can vastly expand vaccinations for our hospital workers, long-term care residents, and move forward with additional priority groups and the general population,” said Reynolds in a release.

Healthcare workers and long term care staff and residents will be the first priority for receiving vaccinations. It is not yet known who will come next or when enough of the vaccine will be delivered in order to make it available to the general public.

As of Sunday, December 20, there have been 267,248 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, increasing the 256,727 total from the week prior by 10,521 cases. This continues the downward trend of new cases over the last few weeks as the spread of the virus continues to slow.

In the last two weeks, 6% of new cases have been among the elderly (age 80+), 17% among older adults (60-79); 29% among middle aged adults (40-59); 24% among young adults (18-39); and 14% among children.

With 213,641 considered recovered, that leaves roughly 50,018 Iowans currently known to be fighting the disease, dropping the number of active cases by roughly 15,000 for the second consecutive week.

Likewise, hospitalizations continue to drop, with 644 hospitalized as of Sunday, including 141 in an ICU. This marks the first time since the start of November that hospitalized COVID-19 patients numbered less than 700.

COVID-19 testing continues across the state even as the holidays approach. Test Iowa’s five drive through sites will be open on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, but closed for Christmas and New Year’s Day. The State Hygienic Lab will be closed for Christmas and New Year’s, but will reopen on December 26 and January 2 respectively to resume test processing.

In total, 2,875,623 tests have been given to 1,316,647 individuals since the pandemic began, including 2,131,322 PCR tests and 744,301 antigen tests. In the last week the state has processed 76,281 PCR tests and 67,502 antigen tests.

The two-week positivity rate currently sits at 8.7%, a reduction from last week’s 10.3% rate.

In addition, 83,482 Iowans have undergone serology testing for coronavirus antibodies, which would indicate that they have had the virus. Of that number, 7,557, about 9%, have tested positive for antibodies.

The state has reported an additional 376 COVID-19 related deaths in the last week, bringing the total death count in Iowa to 3,589. Due to a change in how the state documents COVID-19 related deaths, there is now a larger lag time between death and reporting. Thus, the 376 new deaths reported over the last week largely happened multiple weeks ago.

In total, approximately 2,067 elderly (57.95%); 1,251 older adults (34.86%), 220 middle aged adults (6.13%), 36 young adults (1.01%), and at least one child (.06%) have died from the virus since the pandemic began.

Of the new deaths, only three have been attributed to outbreaks in long term care facilities, bringing the number of fatal cases in these facilities to 1,135.

The number of long term care facilities with outbreaks dropped slightly this week with a reduction of two, bringing the total to 142 facilities consisting of 5,779 positive individuals with 2,756 considered recovered.

In light of the positive developments, Governor Reynolds has modified the public health measures with new provisions that will apply through January 8.

Bars and restaurants are now allowed to resume their normal businesses hours, but are still limited to parties of eight or fewer. Masks are required for staff and patrons when not seated, and patrons are required to be seated when eating or drinking.

For high school athletics, and other sporting events, spectators are no longer limited to two per athlete so long as all spectators come from the same household.

And finally, the crowd size limitations on public recreational gatherings has been lifted, however six feet of social distancing among individuals or groups is still required.

Reynolds encouraged Iowans to remain vigilant as Christmas approaches, warning that the reduction of cases and promise of a vaccine in the near future is not a reason to jump the gun on returning to a normal routine.

“This holiday season I encourage you to celebrate, but celebrate responsibly,” said Reynolds. “We saw the benefit that adjusting our traditions over Thanksgiving had.”