This article was originally written by Rachel Roberts for the Idaho Statesman.
Idaho experienced an increase in its COVID-19 test positivity rate and seven-day moving average this week, according to data provided by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
Dave Jeppesen, Health and Welfare’s director, says the vast majority of the state’s new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths can be attributed to the unvaccinated. Through Friday, 44.6% of Idahoans age 12 and older have been fully vaccinated, which is well below the national average of 55.9%.
“COVID-19 and COVID-19 variants are still in Idaho,” Jeppesen wrote in a blog post Friday at dhwblog.com. “Other states are seeing dramatic increases in cases. By choosing to get the vaccine, we can keep ourselves and our families safe.”
Idaho’s seven-day moving average stands at 94.1 cases per day as of Friday, an increase of about 36.6% from a week ago.
The state’s overall COVID-19 test positivity rate climbed for the second week in a row, although it remains below the 5% threshold that experts say demonstrates control over the spread of the virus.
Health and Welfare reported a positivity rate of 3.6% on 11,850 tests for the week of June 27-July 3. That’s an increase from a rate of 3.1% the previous week. Four of the state’s seven public health districts saw an increase in positivity, but only Panhandle Health District (5.1%) and South Central Public Health District (5.2%) were above 5%.
Boise-based Central District Health had a positivity of 3%, up from 2.1% the week before, while Southwest District Health in Canyon County rose from 2.9% to 3.5%.
Jeppesen said 98.7% of the state’s COVID-19 hospitalizations are among Idahoans with no record of being fully vaccinated.
From Jan. 1 through July 3, Idaho reported 52,699 cases of COVID-19. Of those, 497 (0.9%) had a record of being fully vaccinated, while 52,202 (99.1%) had no record of vaccination.
During that same time period, 2,479 Idahoans were hospitalized for COVID-19 — 32 (1.3%) had a record of being fully vaccinated, while 2,447 (98.7%) had no record of being fully vaccinated.
For deaths during that same timeframe, 433 Idahoans died from COVID-19 — five (1.2%) were fully vaccinated, while 428 (98.8%) were unvaccinated.
As of Wednesday, there were 82 patients hospitalized statewide with COVID-19, including 21 in intensive care.
“COVID-19 cases are decreasing in older age groups, but in younger age groups, the rates are changing week to week and rising in some age groups,” Jeppesen wrote. “After a decrease two weeks ago, the incidence rate among children less than 5 years of age increased 63% to 11 cases per 100,000 last week.”
Since the pandemic arrived in Idaho, the Gem State has reported 195,831 total coronavirus cases. Health and Welfare estimates 115,596 of those cases have recovered. Idaho has lost 2,165 resident to the virus, with a case fatality rate of about 1.1%.
LONG-TERM CARE UPDATE
As of Friday, Health and Welfare reports that there are 937 active coronavirus cases between 16 facilities, which is lower than last week’s 1,000 cases. There are 304 facilities with resolved outbreaks.
To date, 802 people from 179 long-term facilities in Idaho have died from COVID-19-related causes — the same number as was reported last week. Long-term care residents account for about 37% of the 2,165 deaths in the state.
The most recent data from Health and Welfare shows that 74% of Idahoans age 65 and older have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Below is a list of long-term care facilities by city that have active cases of the coronavirus among residents and/or staff. For an outbreak to be considered “resolved,” more than 28 days must pass (two incubation periods) without any additional cases associated with the facility.
Boise: Garden Plaza of Valley View-Valley View Nursing & Rehab, Garden Plaza of Valley View-The Bridge at Valley View, State Veterans Home-Boise; Caldwell: Lenity Senior Living; Chubbuck: Brookdale Chubbuck, Grace at Chubbuck; Coeur d’Alene: Ivy Court, Courtyard at Coeur d’Alene; Hayden: Wellspring Meadows; Lewiston: Guardian Angel Homes Lewiston (now Generations at Lewiston); Meridian: Grace Assisted Living-Fairview Lakes, Edgewood Spring Creek Meridian; Middleton: Cottages of Middleton; Mountain Home: St. Luke’s Elmore Long Term Care; Nampa: Heron Place; Pocatello: Gateway Transitional Care Center, Brookdale Pocatello.
WEEKLY SNAPSHOT
Vaccine doses administered in Idaho: 1,342,090, according to Health and Welfare. Of those, 673,218 people have been fully vaccinated, which accounts for 44.6% of Idahoans age 12 and older.
Test positivity rate: Out of the 11,850 COVID-19 tests conducted for the week of June 27-July 3, 3.6% came back positive.
Counties with highest current seven-day incidence rate per 100,000 population: Shoshone 16.6, Boise 16.4, Bear Lake 11.7, Oneida 9.5, Twin Falls 9.4.
Visit the “what we know” file at IdahoStatesman.com for a daily look at new cases by county and other key numbers.