This article was originally published by Rachel Roberts in the Idaho Statesman.
Idaho’s seven-day moving average of new COVID-19 cases stayed at less than 1,000 for the 12th consecutive day Tuesday.
However, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and the state’s seven public health districts added more than 1,500 combined cases on Tuesday for just the third time in the past two weeks.
There were 965 confirmed cases and 555 probable cases reported for a total of 1,520. Idaho’s seven-day moving average stands at 901.9 cases per day, down 45.3% from a peak of 1,650.3 cases per day on Dec. 10.
Twelve new coronavirus-related deaths were announced Tuesday between Ada (3 new, 361 total), Bingham (1 new, 51 total), Boundary (2 new, 9 total), Cassia (1 new, 21 total), Kootenai (4 new, 122 total) and Shoshone (1 new, 27 total) counties. Southwest District Health removed one death from Canyon County (222 total).
Idaho has lost 1,473 residents to the virus, with a case fatality rate of about 1%.
Ada County added 350 new confirmed cases for a total of 34,101 overall. Kootenai County, home to Coeur d’Alene, saw an increase of 231 new confirmed cases (11,876 total). Canyon (98 new, 18,308 total), Twin Falls (42 new, 6,441 total), Bonneville (51 new, 7,823 total) and Bannock (30 new, 3,946 total) counties also experienced big increases.
The other counties adding new confirmed cases were Bear Lake (1 new, 212 total), Benewah (5 new, 355 total), Bingham (11 new, 2,307 total), Blaine (3 new, 1,456 total), Bonner (15 new, 1,705 total), Boundary (9 new, 281 total), Caribou (3 new, 289 total), Cassia (5 new, 2,281 total), Clearwater (3 new, 630 total), Elmore (6 new, 1,045 total), Franklin (11 new, 754 total), Gem (6 new, 1,134 total), Idaho (4 new, 826 total), Jefferson (8 new, 1,583 total), Jerome (12 new, 1,816 total), Latah (14 new, 2,071 total), Lemhi (2 new, 394 total), Lewis (2 new, 257 total), Lincoln (1 new, 344 total), Madison (9 new, 4,695 total), Minidoka (4 new, 1,785 total), Nez Perce (7 new, 2,820 total), Oneida (1 new, 179 total), Payette (4 new, 1,717 total), Shoshone (8 new, 818 total), Teton (4 new, 490 total) and Valley (6 new, 414 total).
South Central Public Health District removed one confirmed case from Gooding County (849 total). Cases are sometimes removed when an investigation determines an individual’s permanent residence is in another county, health district or state.
Since the pandemic reached Idaho, there have been 119,566 total confirmed cases reported, plus 25,382 probable cases. Health and Welfare estimates that 62,215 individuals have recovered from the virus.
DAILY DETAILS
Vaccine doses administered in Idaho: 20,843, according to Health and Welfare.
Overall hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 5,824 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19, 1,040 admissions to the ICU and 7,279 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 Jan. 4, the health system was reporting 67 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 477 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 14%.
Saint Alphonsus Health System: As of Jan. 4, the health system was reporting 78 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 392 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 24.1%.
Testing totals: At the end of the day Tuesday, Health and Welfare reported that 552,026 people had been tested statewide. About 21.7% of those have been positive for COVID-19.
Counties with confirmed COVID-19 cases: Ada 34,101, Adams 212, Bannock 3,946, Bear Lake 212, Benewah 355, Bingham 2,307, Blaine 1,456, Boise 189, Bonner 1,705, Bonneville 7,823, Boundary 281, Butte 136, Camas 42, Canyon 18,308, Caribou 289, Cassia 2,281, Clark 44, Clearwater 630, Custer 164, Elmore 1,045, Franklin 754, Fremont 786, Gem 1,134, Gooding 849, Idaho 826, Jefferson 1,583, Jerome 1,816, Kootenai 11,876, Latah 2,071, Lemhi 394, Lewis 257, Lincoln 344, Madison 4,695, Minidoka 1,785, Nez Perce 2,820, Oneida 179, Owyhee 799, Payette 1,717, Power 422, Shoshone 818, Teton 490, Twin Falls 6,441, Valley 414, Washington 770.
