New rural infections, up for 10th week in a row, are 50% higher than in metros and are nearing January's record high

New coronavirus infections, in ranges by county, Aug. 29-Sept. 4
Daily Yonder map; click the image to enlarge it or click here for the interactive version.

"After 10 weeks of growing numbers of Covid-19 infections, the weekly rate of new infections in rural counties is approaching the record rates set in January during the peak of the winter surge," Tim Murphy and Tim Marema report for The Daily Yonder.

Rural counties saw 209,259 new coronavirus infections between Aug. 29 to Sept. 4, "about 10 percent below the number of new infections reported during the height of the winter surge eight months ago. Meanwhile, the metropolitan weekly infection rate dropped slightly last week, the first decrease for metropolitan counties in 10 weeks," Murphy and Marema report. "Covid-related deaths increased in both rural and metropolitan counties. Rural counties reported 1,965 Covid-related deaths last week, an increase of more than 10% from two weeks ago. Metropolitan counties reported 6,024 deaths, an increase of 8%."

Click here for an interactive county-level map, regional analysis and charts from the Yonder.