Iowa state health officials have confirmed 13,039 COVID-19 infections in the past week, as the state continues to set new record highs for hospitalizations this year.
State officials reported Wednesday that 777 Iowans are hospitalized with COVID-19, an increase from last week's number of 721.
"We, you know, continue to struggle, as many hospitals in Iowa have continued to struggle with making sure that we have beds for the patients that need them," said Theresa Brennan, the chief medical officer for the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Brennan said health care workers are exhausted from the pandemic.
"We're working with the hospitals in Iowa to try to make sure that the sickest patients have the right beds to be to get the care that they need," she said. "But it is a struggle."
The state reported its 14-day test positivity rate at 12 percent, which marks an increase for the sixth straight week.
In the past week, an additional 105 Iowans were confirmed to have died from COVID-19. This brings the state’s total death count to 7,550.
According to state data, just under 64 percent of Iowans 12 and older are fully vaccinated.
All 99 of Iowa's counties have high levels of community spread, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
