This article was originally written by Ruth Brown for the Idaho Statesman.
There were 956 new confirmed coronavirus cases reported statewide Saturday in Idaho, plus 108 new probable cases for a total of 1,064 in one day.
Ada County recorded 220 new confirmed cases Saturday. That brings the countywide total to 20,261 confirmed infections.
Canyon County recorded 183, bringing the countywide total to 12,410 confirmed infections, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
Idaho also reported two new coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday — one in Bonneville County, according to Eastern Idaho Public Health, and one in Canyon County, according to IDHW. The state’s COVID-19 death toll now sits at 850 people.
In the last week alone, 88 Idahoans have died as a result of coronavirus-related causes.
Kootenai County also saw a noteworthy number Saturday, recording 122 new confirmed cases of the virus, for a total of 6,070 cases countywide.
Health and Welfare has reported 13,302 probable cases and estimates that 37,504 people have recovered from the virus. The department has reported 77,710 confirmed cases in Idaho since the pandemic began.
Other counties to record new confirmed cases Saturday include: Bannock 38 (2,489 total), Bear Lake 2 (139 total), Bingham 15 (1,698 total), Franklin 24 (471 total), Oneida 2 (98 total), Power 4 (362 total), Elmore 3 (585 total), Valley 2 (174 total), Gem 5 (598 total), Owyhee 9 (515 total), Payette 11 (1,247 total), Washington 8 (562 total), Bonner 2 (747 total), Boundary 1 (149 total), Benewah 17 (246 total), Shoshone 6 (449 total), Blaine 7 (1,117 total), Camas 1 (40 total), Cassia 13 (1,832 total), Gooding 6 (658 total), Jerome 12 (1,483 total), Lincoln 4 (275 total), Minidoka 14 (1,489 total), Twin Falls 32 (5,307 total), Bonneville 99 (5,303 total), Fremont 5 (599 total), Jefferson 13 (1,114 total), Lemhi 4 (368 total), Madison 50 (3,361 total), Teton 6 (390 total), Latah 6 (1,499 total), Nez Perce 5 (1,832 total), Idaho 3 (602 total), Lewis 2 (156 total)
Overall hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 3,585 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19, 681 admissions to the ICU and 4,794 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 Nov. 20, the health system was reporting 145 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 524 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 23%.
Saint Alphonsus Health System: As of Nov. 20, the health system was reporting 71 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 329 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 26.5%.
Boise School District: The district says the following schools or units have reported confirmed COVID-19 cases among students or staff since Nov. 17: Amity Elementary (1), Boise High (4), Borah High (5), Capital High (2), Collister Elementary (1), District Services (3), Fairmont Junior High (1), Frank Church High (1), Grace Jordan Elementary (2), Hidden Springs Elementary (1), Highlands Elementary (1), Hillcrest Elementary (3), Hillside Junior High (2), Les Bois Junior High (4), Liberty Elementary (4), Madison Early Childhood Education Center (1), Maple Grove Elementary (1), Morley Nelson Elementary (1), North Junior High (1), Roosevelt Elementary (1), South Junior High (3), Taft Elementary (2), Timberline High (5), Trail Wind Elementary (1), Valley View Elementary (1), Washington Elementary (1), Whittier 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 the weeks of Nov. 7 through Nov. 20: Centennial High (8), Central Academy (2), Eagle Academy (4) Eagle High (35) Idaho Fine Arts (1), Meridian Academy (2), Meridian High (16), Mountain View High (30), Renaissance High (9), Rocky Mountain High (25), Virtual High School (1), Crossroads Middle (3), Eagle Middle (3), Heritage Middle (7), Lake Hazel Middle (3), Lewis and Clark Middle (4), Lowell Scott Middle (11), Meridian Middle (5), Pathways Middle (1), Sawtooth Middle (5), Star Middle (11), Victory Middle (5), Barbara Morgan STEM (2), Cecil D. Andrus Elementary (1), Chaparral Elementary (1), Chief Joseph School of the Arts (2), Christine Donnell (2), Desert Sage Elementary (3), Discovery Elementary (3), Eagle Elementary School of the Arts (3), Eliza Hart Spalding STEM (3), Frontier Elementary (2), Hillsdale Elementary (3), Hunter Elementary (4), Joplin Elementary (1), Lake Hazel Elementary (5), Mary McPherson (4), McMillan Elementary (2), Meridian Elementary (6), Peregrine Elementary (2), Pleasant View Elementary (1), Ponderosa Elementary (2), Prospect Elementary (2), River Valley Elementary (5), Seven Oaks Elementary (3), Siena Elementary (1), Silver Sage Elementary (1), Star Elementary (2), Summerwind STEM Academy (1), Ustick Elementary (6).
Testing totals: At the end of the day Saturday, Health and Welfare reported that 451,245 people had been tested statewide. About 17.2% of those have been positive for COVID-19.
Counties with community spread: All counties except Adams have been announced to have community spread.
Counties with confirmed COVID-19 cases: Ada 20,261, Adams 74, Bannock 2,489, Bear Lake 139, Benewah 246, Bingham 1,698, Blaine 1,117, Boise 95, Bonner 747, Bonneville 5,303, Boundary 149, Butte 102, Camas 40, Canyon 12,410, Caribou 259, Cassia 1,832, Clark 40, Clearwater 326, Custer 119, Elmore 585, Franklin 471, Fremont 599, Gem 598, Gooding 658, Idaho 602, Jefferson 1,114, Jerome 1,483, Kootenai 6,070, Latah 1,499, Lemhi 368, Lewis 156, Lincoln 275, Madison 3,361, Minidoka 1,489, Nez Perce 1,832, Oneida 98, Owyhee 515, Payette 1,247, Power 362, Shoshone 449, Teton 390, Twin Falls 5,307, Valley 174, Washington 562.
