COVID-19 infections in Iowa nursing homes rose by almost 30% this week, with an additional 455 residents or staff members infected.
Over the past week, 15 residents of Iowa nursing homes died of the virus, according to federal data.
Thursday’s reported increase in infections coincided with an announcement from the Iowa Department of Public Health that it will no longer collect data from Iowa nursing homes on COVID-19 infections among residents and staff.
Instead, the state agency said, it will use data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to identify the Iowa care facilities with positive cases. IDPH also said it will no longer publish weekly updates that show which Iowa care facilities are the site of current, active outbreaks.
There are 109 Iowa nursing homes in outbreak status this week, compared to 86 last week. The 1,988 infections associated with this week’s outbreaks represent a one-week increase in care-facility infections of almost 30%.
Last week, the number of COVID-19 infections in nursing homes stood at 1,533 – which was more than four times the number reported two weeks prior.
The biggest active outbreak in any Iowa care facility continues to be at the state-run Iowa Veterans Home. Two weeks ago, there were 55 infections associated with the current outbreak at the home. Last week, there were 90 infections tied to the outbreak and this week, there are 92.
This is the seventh COVID-19 outbreak at the Iowa Veterans Home, which has had more outbreaks than any other Iowa care facility. The six previous outbreaks at the Marshall County home resulted in at least 212 infections.
While 96% of the residents at the Iowa Veterans Home have been fully vaccinated, about 23% of the staff have refused the vaccine, according to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
During the pandemic, seven residents of the Iowa Veterans Home have died of COVID-19, according to CMS.
The biggest trouble spots for care-facility infections continue to be Linn County and Black Hawk County. In Linn County, there are seven facilities in outbreak status; in Black Hawk County, there are nine facilities in outbreak status.
The Iowa Department of Public Health defines a nursing home outbreak as a facility with three or more active infections among the staffers and/or residents.
According to CMS’s data, which differs from the numbers put out by the state, 14,815 Iowa nursing home residents have contracted COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. That total reflects an increase of 656 resident infections from what the agency reported one week ago.
A total of 2,653 of Iowa nursing home residents — 15 more than was reported last week — have died of the virus, according to CMS.
Read more: State continues to revise December COVID deaths upward
Here’s a look at the 109 Iowa nursing homes with current, active infections, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. The homes marked with an asterisk are those with newly reported outbreaks, and homes that have seen significant increases in infections over the past week are also noted:
Allamakee County — Good Samaritan Home of Postville: 12 infections.
* Allamakee County — Northgate Care Center: 3 infections.
Benton County — The Vinton Lutheran Home: 19 infections, up from six infections one week ago.
* Benton County — Keystone Nursing Care Center: Eight infections.
Black Hawk County — Harmony House Health Care Center: 27 infections, up from 13 infections one week ago.
* Black Hawk County — Laporte City Specialty Care: Five infections.
Black Hawk County — Martin Health Center: 15 infections.
Black Hawk County — NewAldaya Lifescapes: 85 infections, up from 79 infections one week ago.
Black Hawk County — Northcrest Specialty Care: 17 infections, up from seven infections one week ago.
Black Hawk County — Pillar of Cedar Valley: 39 infections.
Black Hawk County — Pinnacle Specialty Care: 18 infections.
Black Hawk County — Ravenwood Specialty Care: Eight infections.
Black Hawk County — The Suites of Western Home Communities: 24 infections.
Boone County — Madrid Home for the Aging: 10 infections.
* Boone County – Eastern Star Masonic Home: Six infections.
Bremer County — Denver Sunset Home: 7 infections.
Buchanan County – ABCM Rehabilitation Center of Independence West Campus: Eight infections, up from four infections one week ago.
Buena Vista County — Methodist Manor Retirement Community: Eight infections.
Calhoun County — Good Samaritan Home of Manson: Seven infections.
* Carroll County – St. Anthony Regional Hospital Skilled Nursing Unit: Six infections.
Carroll County — Thomas Rest Haven: Four infections.
Cedar County — Cedar Manor Nursing Home: 10 infections.
Cedar County — Mechanicsville Specialty Care: 23 infections.
Chickasaw County — Linn Haven Rehab & Healthcare: 42 infections.
Crawford County — Denison Care Center: Nine infections.
Dallas County — Arbor Springs of West Des Moines: Eight infections.
Dallas County — Perry Lutheran Home: Eight infections.
*Decatur County – Westview Acres: Three infections.
Des Moines County — Azria Health Prairie Ridge: Four infections
* Dubuque County — Dubuque Specialty Care: Seven infections.
* Dubuque County — Luther Manor Communities: Six infections.
Dubuque County — Stonehill Care Center: Eight infections.
Dubuque County — Sunnycrest Manor: 20 infections.
Emmet County — Valley Vue Care Center: 10 infections.
* Fayette County — Good Samaritan Home of West Union: 10 infections.
Fayette County — Grandview Healthcare Center: 23 infections.
Franklin County — Rehabilitation Center of Hampton: 24 infections.
Fremont County — The Ambassador of Sidney: 32 infections.
* Hardin County – Scenic Manor: Six infections.
Harrison County — Dunlap Specialty Care: 11 infections.
Harrison County — Longview Home: 19 infections.
Henry County — New London Specialty Care: Eight infections.
Henry County — Sunrise Terrace Nursing & Rehabilitation Center: 31 infections, up from 20 infections one week ago.
Howard County — Evans Memorial Home: 29 infections, up from 16 infections one week ago.
Ida County — Morningside Care Center: 13 infections. One week ago, there were fewer than three infections at the home.
Iowa County — Rose Haven Nursing Home: 13 infections, up from seven infections one week ago.
Jasper County — Newton Health Care Center: 17 infections.
Jefferson County — Sunny Brook Living Care Center: 51 infections.
* Johnson County — Iowa City Rehab & Health Care Center: 16 infections.
Jones County — Anamosa Care Center: 20 infections.
Keokuk County — Manor House Care Center: 21 infections.
Kossuth County — Algona Manor Care Center: 38 infections.
* Lee County — Donnellson Health Center: 10 infections.
Lee County — Mississippi Valley Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center: 30 infections.
Lee County — The Madison: 11 infections.
Lee County — West Point Care Center: 19 infections, up from 11 infections one week ago.
* Linn County — Hallmark Care Center: Eight infections.
Linn County — Hiawatha Care Center: 53 infections.
Linn County — Living Center West: 33 infections.
Linn County — ManorCare Health Services of Cedar Rapids: 27 infections.
Linn County — Northbrook Manor Care Center: 34 infections, up from 20 infections one week ago.
Linn County — Oakview Nursing & Rehabilitation of Marion: 22 infections.
Linn County — Winslow House Care Center: 29 infections. This represents an unexplained reduction of three infections from the 32 that were reported as associated with this same outbreak one week ago.
Marshall — Iowa Veterans Home: 92 infections, up from 90 infections one week ago.
Monona County — Elmwood Care Center: Three infections.
* Monona County — Pleasant View Care Center: 31 infections. One week ago, there were fewer than three infections at the home.
Montgomery County — Good Samaritan Home of Red Oak: 13 infections.
* Montgomery County — Red Oak Rehab & Care Center: Four infections.
O’Brien County — Community Memorial Health Center: Seven infections.
* O’Brien County — Pearl Valley Rehabilitation & Nursing at Sutherland: Three infections.
* Plymouth County — Good Samaritan Home of Le Mars: Seven infections.
Polk County — Altoona Nursing and Rehabilitation Center: Nine infections.
* Polk County — Kennybrook Village: Five infections.
* Polk County — Iowa Jewish Senior Life Center: Six infections.
Polk County — ManorCare Health Services-West Des Moines: Seven infections.
Polk County — Parkridge Specialty Care: Five infections.
Polk County — Trinity Center at Luther Park: 17 infections.
Polk County — Wesley Acres: Five infections.
* Polk County —Bishop Drumm Retirement Center: Three infections.
Pottawattamie County — North Crest Living Center: 30 infections, up from 19 infections one week ago.
Pottawattamie County — Risen Son Christian Village: 69 infections, up from 43 infections one week ago.
* Poweshiek County — Brooklyn Community Estates: Three infections.
* Poweshiek County — Grinnell Health Care Center: 11 infections.
Poweshiek County – St. Francis Manor: 15 infections.
* Ringgold County — Clearview Home of Mt. Ayr: 12 infections.
Scott County — Good Samaritan Home of Davenport: 30 infections, up from the 16 infections reported one week ago.
Scott County — Kahl Home for the Aged & Infirm: 56 infections.
Scott County — ManorCare Health Services-Utica Ridge: Nine infections.
* Scott County — ManorCare Health Services-Davenport: 16 infections.
* Shelby County — Elm Crest Retirement Community: Seven infections.
Shelby County — Salem Lutheran Home: 22 infections.
Sioux County — Hegg Memorial Health Center: 24 infections, up from 15 infections reported one week ago.
* Sioux County — Prairie Ridge Care Center: 13 infections.
Sioux County — Sioux Center Health Royale Meadows: 49 infections.
Story County — Bethany Life: 28 infections.
Story County — Northridge Village: 12 infections.
Tama County – Westbrook Acres: 25 infections.
Wapello County — Good Samaritan Home of Ottumwa: Four infections.
Warren County — Carlisle Center for Wellness & Rehab: 10 infections.
Warren County — Norwalk Nursing and Rehabilitation Center: Six infections.
Warren County — Regency Care Center: 14 infections.
Washington County — Halcyon House: Six infections.
Washington County — Pleasantview Home: 34 infections.
Webster County – QHC Fort Dodge Villa: Six infections.
Winnebago County — Lake Mills Care Center: 11 infections.
Woodbury County — Westwood Specialty Care: 12 infections.
Worth County — Lutheran Retirement Home: 27 infections.
Worth County — Manly Specialty Care: 16 infections, up from eight infections one week ago.
Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter.
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