By DAVID PITT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa coronavirus-related hospitalizations increased to over 200 again Friday as the state reported another 616 confirmed cases with much of the increase due to infections of young people.

The Iowa Department of Public Health reported 204 people hospitalized with COVID-19 with 40 people admitted in the previous 24 hours, both increases over the day before. The state listed an additional eight deaths, bringing the total to 5,751 deaths.

Data shows young adults are a significant segment of those testing positive, as 27% of the positive cases reported in the past seven days are aged 18 to 29.

The data shows positive case were trending lower and flattened but began increasing March 21.

Iowa has the nation’s seventh-highest COVID-19 case rate with 11,125 cases per 100,000, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The state has the 16th highest COVID-19 death rate in the nation with 182 deaths per 100,000.

Iowa has 621,545 people fully vaccinated, or 19.7% of the population, which ranks eighth in the nation, the CDC said.

Iowa House officials notified lawmakers and Iowa Capitol workers Friday that a person associated with the House tested positive for the virus. It’s the second case identified this week. A notification went out Monday that a person in the Senate had tested positive.

Republican legislative leaders have rejected mask requirements. Friday’s reported case is at least the eighth since lawmakers began meeting in January.