The newest White House Coronavirus Task Force report found Iowa continues to have one of the highest rates of new COVID-19 cases in the country.
The report, which was released on Sunday, found Iowa ranked sixth in the nation for new coronavirus infections last week. It ranked tenth for its test positivity rate.
It found 70 percent of the state’s counties have moderate to high levels of community transmission.
Polk County continues to have the highest number of new cases over the past three weeks. Woodbury and Dubuque counties were ranked second and third, a change from previous weeks, which saw Johnson and Story counties in those slots.
The report says the state is in a "vulnerable position" heading into fall and winter because its test positivity and case rates have been sustained at the highest levels for the past four weeks. It says new hospital admissions are also increasing.
The Task Force again recommended rapidly scaling up testing efforts and issuing a statewide mask requirement while limiting indoor seating capacity in bars and restaurants.
