Positive case numbers for COVID-19 reach all-time weekly high in Allamakee County

The number of positive cases of COVID-19 for Allamakee County reached an all-time high during the week of January 12-18, according to the weekly update provided by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) last week. That statistical update indicates that 131 new cases of COVID-19 were reported to the IDPH for the seven-day reported timeframe of January 12-18.

That number far exceeded the previous single-week high for Allamakee County of 111 cases, a total that was recorded during the first week of December 2020. That previous highest-ever weekly total capped off a four-week stretch that remains as the highest “monthly” case count total for Allamakee County of 421 cases that included 108 from November 10-16, 95 from November 17-23, 107 from November 24-30, and the 111 from early December of the inaugural COVID-19 year of 2020.

The four-week “monthly” timeframe that involves this past week’s new single-week record of 131 positive cases saw a total of 380 new cases reported from December 22, 2021 through January 18, 2022. Those 380 most recent cases rank second only to that late 2020 four-week stretch detailed above.

Of those 131 new cases reported by the IDPH, nearly one-fourth of them, 24%, emerged among the 30-39 years of age group, with the 18-29 years of age group close behind with 22% of that case total. Ranking third among age groups is the higher recent trend among ages 17 and under that accounts for 16% of that new single-week case record.

Even with that new single-week high, Allamakee County’s 2,744 total positive tests reported by the IDPH since the pandemic began accounts for about 20% of the county population, a percentage that ranks Allamakee County among the lowest 20% of Iowa’s 99 counties. Buena Vista County in the northwest corner of Iowa currently ranks highest among all Iowa counties in percent of population testing positive at 34.4%.