COVID-19 Still Adding Cases, Deaths in Iowa

Today, the Iowa Department of Public Health is reporting Iowa has had another 32 COVID-19 deaths and an additional 1,264 confirmed cases.  The state has had more than 300,000 cases of the coronavirus and 4,532 deaths so far.  The 14-day statewide positivity rate is 10.2%.
In Woodbury County, there have been 22 new cases added to the total case count in the last 24 hours, and 18 people are hospitalized due to COVID-19.  There have been no new deaths.  The county has an 8.5% positivity rate.
 
Nebraska could soon eliminate all of its virus-related restrictions on gatherings if the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 continues to decline. That's even though few people in the state have been vaccinated for the coronavirus.
State health officials said the restrictions could be lifted this weekend if virus patients continue to occupy fewer than 10% of Nebraska's hospital beds. As of Wednesday, about 8% of the state's hospital beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients, and the number of people hospitalized with the disease had declined to 343.
 
A federal judge says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must outline its plans after an appeals court confirmed that the Dakota Access pipeline operates without a key permit. Pipeline opponents want it shut down immediately.  It became the subject of massive Indigenous-led protests in 2016 and 2017.