This article was originally published by Ruth Brown and Jacob Scholl in the Idaho Statesman.
Idaho reported 756 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday and 303 new probable cases, for a total of 1,059 new cases of the virus. Fifteen more Idaho deaths also were added.
Intensive care unit hospital beds across the state showed an increase in COVID-19 patients again. As of Monday, the state marked 88 ICU beds taken by coronavirus patients, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. That’s up from 70 on Jan. 5. A federal government report showed 68% of Idaho’s staffed, adult ICU beds occupied over the past week.
Ada County reported 186 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus Wednesday, bringing the countywide total to 35,717confirmed infections, according to Health and Welfare.
Canyon County reported 132 new confirmed cases, bringing the countywide total to 19,131 confirmed infections, according to Southwest District Health.
Kootenai County reported 152 new confirmed cases, bringing the countywide total to 12,931 confirmed infections, according to the Panhandle Health District.
Fifteen new deaths were reported Wednesday due to COVID-19-related causes. That brings the statewide death toll to 1,576 people.
Wednesday’s new deaths included five in Bannock County, two in Ada County, two in Kootenai County and two in Bonneville County. Gem, Benewah, Shoshone and Teton counties each saw one new death.
Since the virus reached Idaho, a total of 125,152 confirmed infections have been reported statewide. Health and Welfare has reported 27,328 probable cases and estimated that 68,657 people have recovered from the virus.
Other counties to confirm new cases of coronavirus Wednesday included: Blaine (15 new, 1,518 total), Cassia (3 new, 2,328 total), Gooding (3 new, 869 total), Jerome (7 new, 1,856 total), Lincoln (1 new, 352 total), Minidoka (2 new, 1,823 total), Twin Falls (24 new, 6,635 total), Boise (1 new, 197 total), Elmore (3 new, 1,100 total), Valley (7 new, 481 total), Adams (1 new, 221 total), Gem (19 new, 1,208 total), Owyhee (3 new, 825 total), Payette (10 new, 1,768 total), Washington (3 new, 797 total), Nez Perce (12 new, 2,890 total), Latah (29 new, 2,225 total), Idaho (2 new, 841 total), Lewis (2 new, 264 total), Shoshone (13 new, 856 total), Boundary (5 new, 307 total), Bonner (16 new, 1,875 total), Benewah (3 new, 390 total), Bannock (13 new, 4,114 total), Butte (1 new, 144 total), Caribou (1 new, 307 total), Franklin (2 new, 772 total), Oneida (4 new, 192 total), Power (-1 new, 425 total), Bingham (4 new, 2,386 total), Bonneville (26 new, 8,067 total), Custer (1 new, 170 total), Fremont (2 new, 806 total), Jefferson (5 new, 1,621 total), Lemhi (1 new, 396 total), Madison (41 new, 4,880 total), Teton (2 new, 515 total).
CRUSH THE CURVE RECEIVES $200,000 GRANT FROM ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION
Crush the Curve Idaho announced Wednesday it received a $200,000 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, which the local group will use to purchase nearly 10,000 smart thermometers to be used in Idaho public schools to combat the spread of COVID-19.
The thermometers, made by the medical technology company Kinsa, will be used in schools in each of Idaho’s 44 counties, according to a news release from Crush the Curve. The thermometers will not only be able to detect temperatures, but they can also share information to school districts and give early warning signs of illness.
“Real-time tools, such as Kinsa thermometers and testing, can help Idaho identify new outbreaks, especially in rural districts where cases could be missed,” said Tommy Ahlquist, Crush the Curve founder, in the news release.
The grant is part of a $1 billion campaign by the Rockefeller Foundation to aid in the fight against COVID-19 around the globe.
DAILY DETAILS
Vaccine doses administered in Idaho: 42,607, according to Health and Welfare. Of those, 28,016 people have received only their first dose.
Overall hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 6,178 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19, 1,084 admissions to the ICU and 7,915 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. 12, the health system was reporting 72 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 484 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 14%.
Saint Alphonsus Health System: As of Jan. 12, the health system was reporting 72 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 373 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 22.9%.
Testing totals: At the end of the day Wednesday, Health and Welfare reported that 569,199 people had been tested statewide. About 22% of those have been positive for COVID-19.
West Ada School District: Reported cases between Dec. 30 and Jan. 12: Centennial High (6), Eagle High (5), Meridian High (4), Mountain View High (6), Renaissance High (2), Rocky Mountain High (6), Crossroads Middle (1), Heritage Middle (6), Lake Hazel Middle (5), Lewis and Clark Middle (3), Lowell Scott Middle (4), Meridian Middle (5), Sawtooth Middle (1), Star Middle (1), Christine Donnell School (1), Desert Sage Elementary (1), Frontier Elementary (1), Galileo STEM Academy (1), Hunter Elementary (2), Joplin Elementary (1), Meridian Elementary (1), Paramount Elementary (2), Pioneer School of the Arts (1), Prospect Elementary (1), Siena Elementary (1), Summerwind STEM (1), Willow Creek Elementary (1).
Counties with confirmed COVID-19 cases: Ada 35,717, Adams 221, Bannock 4,114, Bear Lake 224, Benewah 390, Bingham 2,386, Blaine 1,518, Boise 197, Bonner 1,875, Bonneville 8,067, Boundary 307, Butte 144, Camas 42, Canyon 19,131, Caribou 307, Cassia 2,328, Clark 44, Clearwater 642, Custer 170, Elmore 1,100, Franklin 772, Fremont 806, Gem 1,208, Gooding 869, Idaho 841, Jefferson 1,621, Jerome 1,856, Kootenai 12,931, Latah 2,225, Lemhi 396, Lewis 264, Lincoln 352, Madison 4,880, Minidoka 1,823, Nez Perce 2,890, Oneida 192, Owyhee 825, Payette 1,768, Power 425, Shoshone 856, Teton 515, Twin Falls 6,635, Valley 481, Washington 797.
