This article was originally written by Nicole Foy and Audrey Dutton for the Idaho Statesman.
Idaho’s health districts and the Department of Health and Welfare reported 324 new confirmed coronavirus cases Friday, continuing a trend of lower counts across the state this week.
Only Monday saw the total of confirmed cases exceed 400, and Sunday data are now part of Monday’s tally because there is no reporting on Sundays.
The state’s health department also recorded 78 new probable cases Friday, bringing the total number for the day to 402.
COVID-19 hospitalizations also appear to be continuing a downward trend. Health and Welfare’s website didn’t have hospitalization data available for Wednesday, Feb. 3, but ICU data on that day showed the number of COVID-19 patients in those units decreased from 46 to 41. There was a total of 199 patients hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 on Tuesday.
However, the state reported a total of 11 COVID-19-related deaths Friday, the highest count this week and the second day for a double-digit tally this week, with 10 deaths reported Monday. New deaths were reported in Ada (2 new, 416 total), Bannock (1 new, 87 total), Bonner (1 new, 30 total), Bonneville (3 new, 140 total), Canyon (1 new, 258 total), Kootenai (2 new, 170 total) and Minidoka (1 new, 28 total) counties.
There have been 1,760 COVID-19-related deaths reported in Idaho. A total of 134,362 people have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic reached the state.
Health and Welfare reported 103 new confirmed coronavirus cases in Ada County on Friday (38,423 total), while Southwest District Health reported just 38 in Canyon County (20,385 total). The seven-day case average for both counties continues to drop: 98.2 for Ada and 43.5 for Canyon as of Friday. However, Ada County’s caseload exceeded 100 three days this week.
Southeastern Idaho Health District removed one case from Butte County on Friday (149 total).
The other counties adding confirmed COVID-19 cases included: Bannock (13 new, 4,460 total), Bear Lake (1 new, 240 total), Benewah (1 new, 417 total), Bingham (1 new, 2,490 total), Blaine (15 new, 1,851 total), Bonner (6 new, 2,284 total), Bonneville (17 new, 8,495 total), Boundary (2 new, 355 total), Camas (1 new, 51 total), Cassia (6 new, 2,403 total), Elmore (1 new, 1,190 total), Franklin (7 new, 823 total), Fremont (1 new, 853 total), Gem (4 new, 1,304 total), Gooding (1 new, 899 total), Jefferson (4 new, 1,707 total), Jerome (3 new, 1,933 total), Kootenai (32 new, 14,196 total), Latah (2 new, 2,425 total), Madison (27 new, 5,243 total), Minidoka (3 new, 1,879 total), Nez Perce (1 new, 3,015 total), Oneida (2 new, 212 total), Payette (4 new, 1,862 total), Power (3 new, 452 total), Shoshone (4 new, 917 total), Teton (1 new, 597 total), Twin Falls (12 new, 6,871 total), Valley (7 new, 620 total), Washington (2 new, 840 total).
STATE CHOOSES PHARMACIES FOR FEDERAL VACCINE PROGRAM
The state has chosen Walmart and Albertsons to be the designated pharmacies to receive Idaho’s share of 1 million vaccine doses from a federal program. Those doses are expected to start rolling out to retail pharmacies nationwide next week. The decision was announced during Friday’s Idaho Coronavirus Vaccine Advisory Committee meeting.
STATE VACCINE DATA DOESN’T INCLUDE BOISE VA HOSPITAL
The state’s COVID-19 vaccine data currently do not include people getting vaccinated at the Boise VA Medical Center. That’s because the local VA hospital and clinics don’t use the system that the state uses to pull its vaccine data, Boise VA spokesperson Josh Callihan told the Statesman.
Callihan said the VA is working with the state to find a way to incorporate its numbers.
Callihan told the Statesman on Friday that the Boise VA has received a total of 11,693 doses from Moderna since the vaccine rollout began (7,300 first doses, 3,700 second doses and 693 extras). Of those, the Boise VA has administered a total of 7,439 to the veterans it serves.
DAILY DETAILS
Vaccine doses administered in Idaho: 166,466, according to Health and Welfare. Of those, 102,288 people have received only their first dose.
Overall hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 6,785 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19, 1,184 admissions to the ICU and 9,029 health care workers infected. Hospital and health care numbers are based on cases with completed investigations into contacts, not the full number of positives.
St. Luke’s Health System: As of Feb. 4, the health system was reporting 35 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 457 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 8%.
Saint Alphonsus Health System: As of Feb. 4, the health system was reporting 50 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 343 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 11.9%.
Testing totals: Health and Welfare reported that 612,081 people had been tested statewide. Nearly 22% of those have been positive for COVID-19.
Boise School District: Reported positive cases since Feb. 2: Boise High (1), Borah High (3), Capital High (3), Fairmont Junior High (1), Hidden Springs Elementary (1), Hillside Elementary (1), Horizon Elementary (1), Les Bois Junior High (1), Liberty Elementary (1), Riverside Elementary (1), Trail Wind Elementary (3).
West Ada School District: Reported cases from Jan. 23-Feb. 5: Centennial High (1), Eagle Academy (1), Eagle High (4), Meridian High (1), Mountain View High (2), Eagle Middle (1), Heritage Middle (3), Lake Hazel Middle (2), Sawtooth Middle (2), Star Middle (1), Barbara Morgan STEM Academy (1), Desert Sage Elementary (3), Discovery Elementary (2), Hunter Elementary (1), Pioneer School of the Arts (3), River Valley Elementary (1), Seven Oaks Elementary (2), Siena Elementary (1).
Counties with confirmed COVID-19 cases: Ada 38,423, Adams 245, Bannock 4,460, Bear Lake 240, Benewah 417, Bingham 2,490, Blaine 1,851, Boise 224, Bonner 2,284, Bonneville 8,495, Boundary 355, Butte 149, Camas 51, Canyon 20,385, Caribou 327, Cassia 2,403, Clark 44, Clearwater 744, Custer 175, Elmore 1,190, Franklin 823, Fremont 853, Gem 1,304, Gooding 899, Idaho 871, Jefferson 1,707, Jerome 1,933, Kootenai 14,196, Latah 2,425, Lemhi 394, Lewis 275, Lincoln 368, Madison 5,243, Minidoka 1,879, Nez Perce 3,015, Oneida 212, Owyhee 854, Payette 1,862, Power 452, Shoshone 917, Teton 597, Twin Falls 6,871, Valley 620, Washington 840.
