This article was originally published by Ruth Brown in the Idaho Statesman.
Idaho recorded 449 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday and 170 probables for a total of 619, marking eight straight days of well under 1,000 cases, but the death toll climbed by 25 — the most in a single day since there were 30 on Jan. 19.
Ada County reported 105 new confirmed coronavirus cases, bringing the countywide total to 37,560, according to Health and Welfare.
Kootenai County in North Idaho reported 75 new confirmed cases on Wednesday and also had 10 new COVID-19-related deaths, according to the Panhandle Health District. The county now has had 13,836 confirmed infections.
Canyon County reported 42 new confirmed cases, running its total to more than 20,000, according to Southwest District Health.
Ada, Canyon and Kootenai counties rank Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in terms of number of confirmed cases, combining for more than 83,000 of Idaho’s 131,460 confirmed cases since the pandemic began nearly a year ago.
The high Kootenai count was among 25 deaths reported Wednesday statewide, with the toll now sitting at 1,716 people. Among those deaths was another person between the ages of 30 and 39, the eighth person in that range to die of the disease. The bulk of the state’s deaths — almost 1,400 — have been people age 70 or older.
Ada County reported four new deaths Wednesday, Canyon County three, and Bonneville and Bonner counties two apiece. Jefferson, Idaho, Clearwater and Owyhee counties each recorded one new death.
Health and Welfare reported there have been 29,854 probable cases and estimated that 79,298 people have recovered from the virus.
As of Wednesday, 102,713 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered statewide. Idaho Gov. Brad Little is set to make an announcement about the COVID-19 vaccine plan at 1 p.m. Thursday. Idaho Public Television will stream the press conference live.
Other counties to report new confirmed cases of the virus Wednesday included: Nez Perce (10 new, 2,983 total), Latah (15 new, 2,342 total), Idaho (1 new, 867 total), Clearwater (1 new, 738 total), Lewis (1 new, 271 total), Bonner (25 new, 2,130 total), Boundary (2 new, 344 total), Bonneville (29 new, 8,354 total), Fremont (1 new, 837 total), Madison (34 total, 5,100 total), Teton (2 new, 572 total), Bannock (12 new, 4,357 total), Franklin (2 new, 801 total), Power (1 new, 439 total), Bear Lake (1 new, 234 total), Bingham (3 new, 2,463 total), Gem (10 new, 1,272 total), Payette (4 new, 1,835 total), Washington (1 new, 833 total), Boise (2 new, 219 total), Valley (5 new, 567 total), Blaine (31 new, 1,734 total), Cassia (2 new, 2,371 total), Gooding (3 new, 889 total), Jerome (4 new, 1,897 total), Lincoln (2 new, 366 total), Minidoka (4 new, 1,862 total), Twin Falls (19 new, 6,803 total).
DAILY DETAILS
Vaccine doses administered in Idaho: 102,713, according to Health and Welfare. Of those, 68,888 people have received only their first dose.
Overall hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 6,604 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19, 1,153 admissions to the ICU and 8,650 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. 26, the health system was reporting 44 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 521 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 10%.
Saint Alphonsus Health System: As of Jan. 26, the health system was reporting 58 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 368 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 16%.
Testing totals: At the end of the day Wednesday, Health and Welfare reported that 597,513 people had been tested statewide. About 22% of those have been positive for COVID-19.
Boise School District: Reported cases since Jan. 19: Adams Elementary (1), Boise High (1), Borah High (3), Capital High (3), East Junior High (3), Garfield Elementary (1), Hawthorne (1), Hillside Junior High (1), Monroe Elementary (1), Pierce Park Elementary (1), Riverside Elementary (1), Shadow Hills Elementary (3), South Junior High (3), West Junior High (1), Whittier Elementary (1).
West Ada School District: Reported cases from Jan. 13-26: Centennial High (5), Eagle Academy (1), Eagle High (4), Idaho Fine Arts (1), Mountain View High (8), Rebound School of Opportunity (1), Rocky Mountain High (2), Heritage Middle (1), Lewis and Clark Middle (1), Lowell Scott Middle (1), Meridian Middle (1), Star Middle (1), Frontier Elementary (1), Hillsdale Elementary (2), Paramount Elementary (1), Seven Oaks Elementary (1), Siena Elementary (1), Silver Sage Elementary (1), Summerwind STEM (1).
Counties with confirmed COVID-19 cases: Ada 37,560, Adams 237, Bannock 4,357, Bear Lake 234, Benewah 412, Bingham 2,463, Blaine 1,734, Boise 219, Bonner 2,130, Bonneville 8,354, Boundary 344, Butte 149, Camas 48, Canyon 20,013, Caribou 325, Cassia 2,371, Clark 44, Clearwater 738, Custer 175, Elmore 1,162, Franklin 801, Fremont 837, Gem 1,272, Gooding 889, Idaho 867, Jefferson 1,672, Jerome 1,897, Kootenai 13,836, Latah 2,342, Lemhi 395, Lewis 271, Lincoln 366, Madison 5,100, Minidoka 1,862, Nez Perce 2,983, Oneida 204, Owyhee 846, Payette 1,835, Power 439, Shoshone 902, Teton 572, Twin Falls 6,803 Valley 567, Washington 833.
