This article was originally published by Rachel Roberts in the Idaho Statesman.
The seven-day moving average of new cases of COVID-19 reached an all-time high Tuesday in both Idaho and the state’s most populous county.
Idaho’s seven-day moving average climbed to 1,521.1 cases per day, surpassing the previous record set Monday of 1,457.4. Since Dec. 1, the state’s seven-day moving average has increased by 30.1%. It is up 84.6% since Nov. 1.
Ada County added a record 499 new confirmed cases Tuesday, increasing its seven-day moving average to an all-time high of 338 cases per day. Ada County has reported 25,203 confirmed cases overall.
The state’s seven public health districts reported a combined 1,579 new confirmed cases (third-highest total) and 425 new probable cases for 2,004 total cases on Tuesday. The 2,004 cases is the second-most reported for a single day.
There were also 26 new deaths reported among 15 counties, bringing the total number of deaths reported in December to 151. Idaho has lost 1,088 residents to the virus overall with a case fatality rate of about 0.95%. Six deaths were added in Bonneville County (86 total), three deaths in Gooding County (13 total), three deaths in Canyon County (157 total), two deaths in Blaine County (9 total) and two deaths in Twin Falls County (101 total). Bannock (41 total), Bonner (10 total), Caribou (11 total), Cassia (19 total), Gem (7 total), Kootenai (90 total), Madison (10 total), Nez Perce (40 total), Oneida (first death) and Owyhee (14 total) counties each saw one new death.
While Ada County experienced the largest single-day increase of any county Tuesday, it wasn’t the only one with a triple-digit increase. Kootenai County’s caseload rose by 349 confirmed cases to 8,118 overall. Canyon County added 205 cases for 15,313 total, and Bonneville County was just short of a triple-digit increase with 97 new confirmed cases (6,533 total).
There were eight other counties adding 20 or more confirmed cases: Madison (58 new, 4,174 total), Nez Perce (39 new, 2,384 total), Bonner (30 new, 1,082 total), Bannock (28 new, 3,092 total), Blaine (26 new, 1,325 total), Twin Falls (25 new, 5,916 total), Latah (24 new, 1,78 total) and Bingham (22 new, 1,986 total).
The other counties reporting new confirmed cases were Bear Lake (1 new, 168 total), Benewah (1 new, 282 total), Boise (5 new, 132 total), Boundary (9 new, 194 total), Butte (1 new, 114 total), Cassia (10 new, 2,087 total), Clark (1 new, 43 total), Clearwater (8 new, 537 total), Custer (2 new, 146 total), Elmore (14 new, 757 total), Franklin (11 new, 597 total), Fremont (2 new, 725 total), Gem (11 new, 887 total), Gooding (3 new, 776 total), Idaho (6 new, 739 total), Jefferson (17 new, 1,375 total), Jerome (7 new, 1,662 total), Lewis (8 new, 220 total), Lincoln (8 new, 311 total), Minidoka (3 new, 1,639 total), Oneida (8 new, 136 total), Owyhee (4 new, 698 total), Payette (12 new, 1,498 total), Power (3 new, 385 total), Shoshone (9 new, 560 total), Teton (6 new, 445 total), Valley (4 new, 239 total) and Washington (3 new, 678 total).
Idaho has seen 95,728 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic along with 18,362 probable cases. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare estimates that 44,314 of those cases have recovered from the virus.
DAILY DETAILS
Overall hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 4,539 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19, 846 admissions to the ICU and 5,569 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 Dec. 7, the health system was reporting 132 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 478 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 19%.
Saint Alphonsus Health System: As of Dec. 7, the health system was reporting 98 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 297 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 26.6%.
Boise School District: The district says the following schools or units have reported confirmed COVID-19 cases among students or staff since Dec. 1: District Services (5), DTEC (1), Hawthorne Elementary (2), Lowell Elementary (1), Monroe Elementary (1), Pierce Park Elementary (1), Riverglen Junior High (1), Taft Elementary (1), Trail Wind Elementary (1), Whitney Elementary (2).
West Ada School District: The district says the following schools or units have reported confirmed COVID-19 cases among students or staff for Nov. 24-Dec. 7: Centennial High (15), Central Academy (1), Eagle Academy (4), Eagle High (11), Idaho Fine Arts (2), Meridian Academy (2), Meridian High (24), Mountain View High (24), Renaissance High (10), Rocky Mountain High (25), Crossroads Middle (1), Eagle Middle (6), Heritage Middle (10), Lake Hazel Middle (11), Lewis and Clark Middle (11), Lowell Scott Middle (5), Meridian Middle (7), Sawtooth Middle (6), Star Middle (4), Victory Middle (5), Barbara Morgan STEM (3), Cecil D. Andrus Elementary (2), Chaparral Elementary (1), Chief Joseph School of the Arts (4), Christine Donnell (5), Desert Sage Elementary (4), Discovery Elementary (1), Eagle Hills Elementary (2), Eliza Hart Spalding STEM (1), Frontier Elementary (1), Galileo STEM Academy (2), Hillsdale Elementary (4), Hunter Elementary (4), Joplin Elementary (1), Lake Hazel Elementary (1), Mary McPherson (2), Meridian Elementary (3), Paramount Elementary (3), Pioneer School of the Arts (3), Pleasant View Elementary (2), Ponderosa Elementary (4), Prospect Elementary (5), Seven Oaks Elementary (1), Siena Elementary (3), Silver Sage Elementary (2), Star Elementary (1), Summerwind STEM Academy (1), Ustick Elementary (1), Willow Creek Elementary (2).
Testing totals: At the end of the day Tuesday, Health and Welfare reported that 492,265 people had been tested statewide. About 19.4% of those have been positive for COVID-19.
Counties with confirmed COVID-19 cases: Ada 25,203, Adams 101, Bannock 3,092, Bear Lake 168, Benewah 282, Bingham 1,986, Blaine 1,325, Boise 132, Bonner 1,082, Bonneville 6,533, Boundary 194, Butte 114, Camas 42, Canyon 15,313, Caribou 269, Cassia 2,087, Clark 43, Clearwater 537, Custer 146, Elmore 757, Franklin 597, Fremont 725, Gem 887, Gooding 776, Idaho 739, Jefferson 1,375, Jerome 1,662, Kootenai 8,118, Latah 1,780, Lemhi 380, Lewis 220, Lincoln 311, Madison 4,174, Minidoka 1,639, Nez Perce 2,384, Oneida 136, Owyhee 698, Payette 1,498, Power 385, Shoshone 560, Teton 445, Twin Falls 5,916, Valley 239, Washington 678.
