This article was originally written by Nicole Blanchard for the Idaho Statesman.
After a one-day hiatus in reporting due to the New Year’s Day holiday, Idaho health officials recorded more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases and a dozen deaths linked to the disease as vaccinations administered statewide approach 20,000 doses.
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and local health districts reported 852 new confirmed COVID-19 cases across the state on Saturday, as well as 203 more probable cases for a total of 1,055. Those numbers are in line with a slight uptick in cases in recent days following a decline the previous week.
Ada County reported 333 new cases as Boise-based Central District Health tries to catch up on a backlog in the county. Officials have now confirmed 33,529 COVID-19 cases in Ada County since March.
Canyon County reported 102 more cases for a total of 18,029, while Kootenai County — home to Coeur d’Alene — reported 152, bringing its total to 11,496.
Officials also removed one case in Valley County, lowering the county’s total to 395.
Saturday’s data also showed 12 more Idahoans have died of COVID-19. Deaths were reported in each of the following counties: Ada (3 new, 358 total), Bannock (2 new, 65 total), Bingham (1 new, 47 total), Butte (1 new, 1 total), Canyon (2 new, 221 total), Gem (1 new, 22 total), Power (1 new, 5 total) and Washington (1 new, 15 total).
According to Southeastern Idaho Public Health, the Bannock County deaths were a man in his 60s and another in his 70s; the Bingham County death was a woman in her 80s; the Butte County death was a man in his 80s; and the Power County death a woman in her 80s. No details were provided on the other deaths.
Idaho health officials have reported 1,450 deaths linked to COVID-19 since March. Nearly one-third of those — 449 deaths — were reported in the last month.
Since March, Idaho has confirmed 117,699 COVID-19 cases and deemed 24,563 other illnesses as “probable” cases of COVID-19.
The following other Idaho counties reported new cases on Saturday: Adams (4 new, 203 total), Bannock (33 new, 3,898 total), Benewah (2 new, 349 total), Bingham (13 new, 2,289 total), Blaine (6 new, 1,450 total), Boise (2 new, 188 total), Bonner (24 new, 1,658 total), Bonneville (35 new, 7,736 total), Boundary (1 new, 270 total), Butte (2 new, 136 total), Caribou (2 new, 286 total), Cassia (28 new, 2,268 total), Custer (1 new, 163 total), Elmore (3 new, 1,032 total), Franklin (9 new, 726 total), Fremont (1 new, 779 total), Gem (9 new, 1,117 total), Gooding (3 new, 848 total), Jefferson (8 new, 1,571 total), Jerome (13 new, 1,795 total), Lincoln (1 new, 342 total), Madison (15 new, 4,664 total), Minidoka (5 new, 1,773 total), Oneida (1 new, 178 total), Owyhee (3 new, 792 total), Payette (9 new, 1,704 total), Shoshone (4 new, 798 total), Teton (1 new, 486 total), Twin Falls (24 new, 6,360 total), and Washington (4 new, 763 total).
DAILY DETAILS
Vaccine doses administered in Idaho: 18,527, according to Health and Welfare.
Overall hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 5,687 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19, 1,024 admissions to the ICU and 7,134 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. 1, the health system was reporting 57 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 434 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 13%.
Saint Alphonsus Health System: As of Jan. 1, the health system was reporting 66 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 291 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 23.2%.
Testing totals: At the end of the day Saturday, Health and Welfare reported that 548,008 people had been tested statewide. About 21.4% of those have been positive for COVID-19.
Counties with confirmed COVID-19 cases: Ada 33,529, Adams 203, Bannock 3,898, Bear Lake 208, Benewah 349, Bingham 2,289, Blaine 1,450, Boise 188, Bonner 1,658, Bonneville 7,736, Boundary 270, Butte 136, Camas 42, Canyon 18,029, Caribou 286, Cassia 2,268, Clark 44, Clearwater 628, Custer 163, Elmore 1,032, Franklin 726, Fremont 779, Gem 1,117, Gooding 848, Idaho 815, Jefferson 1,571, Jerome 1,795, Kootenai 11,496, Latah 2,034, Lemhi 391, Lewis 252, Lincoln 342, Madison 4,664, Minidoka 1,773, Nez Perce 2,792, Oneida 178, Owyhee 792, Payette 1,704, Power 422, Shoshone 798, Teton 486, Twin Falls 6,360, Valley 395, Washington 763.
