The number of new COVID-19 infections in rural counties fell by 20 percent for the second week in a row, dropping to levels not seen since early November. The number of COVID-related deaths also declined, after reaching a recordsetting high two weeks ago.

The changes are in line with national data that shows the current COVID-19 surge, which began in rural counties in mid-September, is waning.

New infections in nonmetropolitan counties last week totaled 148,302. The number is about 36 percent lower than the record high set three weeks ago.

The number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 last week was 3,476. That’s 13 percent lower than the previous week’s death toll, which set a record high of 4,127. Since the start of the pandemic, 63,862 residents of rural America have died from causes related to COVID-19, according to the Daily Yonder’s analysis of data compiled by USA Facts.

This week’s Daily Yonder COVID-19 report covers Sunday, Jan. 17, through Saturday, Jan. 23.

•For the fourth week in a row, rural America’s rate of new infections remained slightly lower than the rate in urban areas. Last week, the rural rate of new infections was 325 cases per 100,000, compared to 378 cases per 100,000 for metropolitan counties.

•The number of counties in the “very high” category of new infections, defined as 500 or more new infections in one week, declined dramatically last week. Rural counties in the “very high” range (shown in black on the map) fell from 505 two weeks ago to 266 last week. Metro counties in that range (shown in gray on the map) fell from 336 to 189.

•Despite improvement in infection rates, nine out of every 10 rural counties remained in the red zone—defined as 100 or more new infections per 100,000 over a seven-day period. The previous administration’s White House Coronavirus Task Force advised localities in the red zone to increase measures to contain the virus.

The cumulative total of rural infections reached 3.6 million last week. That represents 14.7 percent of all U.S. cases. Deaths in rural counties represented 15.7 percent of all deaths in the nation last week.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Daily Yonder (www.dailyyonder.com) provides news, commentary, and analysis about and for rural America. The Yonder is published by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Center for Rural Strategies.