DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) - State public health officials identified hundreds of more cases of the illness caused by the novel coronavirus and several more deaths on Saturday.

The Iowa Department of Public Health said that 757 more Iowans had tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the state's total number of cases since the pandemic began to 8,641.

353 Iowans are hospitalized as of Saturday. 3,156 are considered recovered from COVID-19.

Five more deaths from the disease were reported to state officials, bringing the total in the state to 175. The fatalities were two older adults (aged 61 to 80) in Linn County, one older adult (aged 61 to 80) in Tama County, one older adult (aged 61 to 80) in Polk County, and one older adult (aged 61 to 80) in Woodbury County.

Officials said that 87% of the newly reported cases on Saturday were in the 22 counties where restrictions were not lifted on May 1. They claim that the state will see high case counts this weekend due to the State Hygenic Lab processing a backlog of tests.

3,377 tests came back negative in the most recent 24-hour reporting period, bringing the total number of negative tests to date is 41,085.

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757 more confirmed cases of COVID-19, five more deaths statewide - KCRG