This article was originally written by Nicole Blanchard for the Idaho Statesman.
Idaho health officials reported nearly 1,300 new cases of COVID-19 this weekend, along with 10 new deaths statewide — more than half of which were in Ada County.
On Saturday, officials reported 667 confirmed and 195 probable COVID-19 cases, while Sunday reports showed 340 confirmed cases and 91 probable cases. In all, 1,293 new cases were reported over the weekend.
It’s not yet clear if the low case counts are a positive sign (case counts are typically lower on weekends, particularly Sundays, as most of the state’s seven health districts don’t report their own data those days). The recent holidays skewed the state’s case count averages as health officials didn’t report any data on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. By Sunday, the statewide seven-day moving average was 1,023 — the highest since Christmas Day, but nowhere near as high as the average 1,400 to 1,500 new cases reported daily in early and mid-December.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 10 new COVID-19-related deaths over the weekend. On Saturday, the agency reported one death in each of the following counties: Bonneville (119 total), Canyon (233 total), Cassia (23 total) and Owyhee (1 total). On Sunday, Health and Welfare reported six new deaths, all of them in Ada County (374 total).
Since the pandemic reached Idaho in March, 1,536 Idahoans have died of coronavirus-related illness.
Officials have confirmed 123,134 cases of COVID-19 in Idaho, as well as 26,590 probable cases. By Sunday, Health and Welfare reported, 34,755 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered, and 3,865 people had received both necessary doses.
The following Idaho counties reported new cases this weekend:
▪ Saturday: Ada (294 new, 35,076 total), Adams (2 new, 219 total), Bannock (20 new, 4,060 total), Bear Lake (4 new, 222 total), Bingham (14 new, 2,365 total), Blaine (6 new, 1,484 total), Boise (2 new, 193 total), Bonner (33 new, 1,817 total), Bonneville (26 new, 7,953 total), Boundary (3 new, 294 total), Butte (1 new, 140 total), Canyon (116 new, 18,789 total), Caribou (1 new, 294 total), Cassia (6 new, 2,313 total), Custer (2 new, 167 total), Elmore (8 new, 1,068 total), Franklin (2 new, 764 total), Gem (6 new, 1,178 total), Gooding (1 new, 861 total), Jefferson (4 new, 1,607 total), Kootenai (65 new, 12,458 total), Latah (3 new, 2,140 total), Madison (14 new, 4,799 total), Minidoka (5 new, 1,810 total), Owyhee (5 new, 819 total), Payette (3 new, 1,743 total), Shoshone (5 new, 837 total), Teton (2 new, 506 total), Twin Falls (12 new, 6,549 total) and Washington (2 new, 787 total).
▪ Sunday: Ada (148 new, 35,224 total), Bingham (1 new, 2,366 total), Blaine (8 new, 1,492 total), Boise (1 new, 194 total), Bonneville (40 new, 7,993 total), Canyon (40 new, 18,829 total), Cassia (7 new, 2,320 total), Elmore (3 new, 1,071 total), Fremont (3 new, 798 total), Gem (2 new, 1,180 total), Gooding (2 new, 863 total), Jefferson (5 new, 1,607 total), Jerome (3 new, 1,840 total), Kootenai (32 new, 12,490 total), Lincoln (2 new, 348 total), Madison (14 new, 4,813 total), Minidoka (8 new, 1,818 total), Payette (3 new, 1,746 total), Shoshone (1 new, 838 total), Teton (1 new, 507 total), Twin Falls (15 new, 6,564 total) and Washington (1 new, 788 total).
DAILY DETAILS
Vaccine doses administered in Idaho: 34,755, according to Health and Welfare. Of those, 30,875 people have received their first dose, while 3,865 have received both doses.
Overall hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 6,037 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19, 1,074 admissions to the ICU and 7,696 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. 9, the health system was reporting 76 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 454 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 14%.
Saint Alphonsus Health System: As of Jan. 9, the health system was reporting 61 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 365 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 23.8%.
West Ada School District: Reported cases between Dec. 27 and Jan. 9: Centennial High (2), Central Academy (1), Eagle High (3), Meridian High (3), Mountain View High (3), Renaissance High (1), Rocky Mountain High (5), Heritage Middle (1), Lake Hazel Middle (3), Lewis and Clark Middle (1), Lowell Scott Middle (4), Meridian Middle (5), Pathways Middle (1), Victory Middle (1), Barbara Morgan STEM (1), Chaparral Elementary (1), Christine Donnell School of the Arts (2), Desert Sage Elementary (3), Discovery Elementary (1), Hunter Elementary (3), Paramount Elementary (2), Pioneer School of the Arts (2), Ponderosa Elementary (1), Star Elementary (1), Summerwind STEM (2), Willow Creek Elementary (1).
Counties with confirmed COVID-19 cases: Ada 35,224, Adams 219, Bannock 4,060, Bear Lake 222, Benewah 381, Bingham 2,366, Blaine 1,492, Boise 194, Bonner 1,817, Bonneville 7,993, Boundary 294, Butte 140, Camas 42, Canyon 18,829, Caribou 294, Cassia 2,320, Clark 44, Clearwater 637, Custer 167, Elmore 1,071, Franklin 764, Fremont 798, Gem 1,180, Gooding 863, Idaho 831, Jefferson 1,612, Jerome 1,840, Kootenai 12,490, Latah 2,140, Lemhi 395, Lewis 260, Lincoln 348, Madison 4,813, Minidoka 1,818, Nez Perce 2,853, Oneida 185, Owyhee 819, Payette 1,746, Power 423, Shoshone 838, Teton 507, Twin Falls 6,564, Valley 453, Washington 788.
