The Biden Administration has announced plans to inoculate 300 million Americans against the novel coronavirus by the end of the summer. Achieving this goal will, hopefully, allow life in the United States to return to some degree of normalcy after COVID-19 wreaked havoc for well over a year. So far, the virus has claimed 472,985 American lives — more than the total number of Americans killed in World War I and World War II combined.

In the Sioux City metropolitan area, which covers parts of Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota, a total of 379 deaths have been attributed to the virus, equal to 228 fatalities for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the per capita death rate stands at 145 per 100,000.

The higher than average per capita COVID-19 death rate across the metro area is being driven disproportionately by one area in particular.

The broader Sioux City metro area comprises five counties or county equivalents — and of them, Plymouth County has had the most COVID-19 fatalities per capita. So far, the per capita death coronavirus death rate in Plymouth County stands at 304 for every 100,000 people.

With the highest per capita death rate in the Sioux City metro area, Plymouth County ranks among the top 10% of all U.S. counties or county equivalents with at least one COVID-19 fatality, by death rate per capita.

Geography:	Deaths per 100,000 people:	Total deaths:	Confirmed cases per 100,000 people:	Total confirmed cases:
Plymouth, IA	304	76	14,437	3,615
Dakota, NE	281	57	18,172	3,692
Union, IA	249	31	9,387	1,169
Woodbury, IA	202	207	13,177	13,493
Dixon, NE	139	8	9,711	558

These are all the counties in Iowa where COVID-19 is slowing (and where it’s still getting worse).