As of Aug. 2, 2021, the United States finally reached President Joe Biden’s goal of 70 percent of adult Americans with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
While Biden had advocated to reach that target by July 4, the milestone came nearly a month late, even as the more highly transmissible Delta variant leads to escalating case loads across the nation and in Iowa.
Iowa ceased daily reporting last month of coronavirus data, but as of July 28, reported 46.9 percent of Iowans had been fully vaccinated, compared to 49.4 percent of Americans fully vaccinated on the same date nationwide.
Related: Iowa eliminates reporting data as COVID-19 cases rise
Various sites track vaccination statistics, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention reporting 3.1 million shots had been administered in Iowa as of Aug. 1, and USA.org reporting 53.29 percent of Iowans had received at least one dose as of the same date.
As of Aug. 2, nationwide, 60. 6 percent of adults are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
Iowa’s hospitalization rates have been increasing, with 158 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 as of its last update on July 28, compared to 106 in the previous week. Fifty patients were hospitalized in intensive care units, with 19 on ventilators.
Deaths in Iowa rose in that same time frame from 6,170 to 6,183.
With students returning to school this month, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the Republican-controlled legislature’s bill to ban mask mandates in public schools, putting younger students who do not qualify for vaccines particularly at risk, along with staff and others who work with them.
Iowa is also ready to welcome 1 million visitors to the 11-day Iowa State Fair, beginning Aug. 12, with health experts concerned the fair could become a super spreader event.
Nationwide, the CDC reported 34,972,532 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Aug. 2, while at least 611,051 Americans have died of coronavirus as of the beginning of the pandemic.
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