Nez Perce County matches Ada County for most coronavirus-related deaths in Idaho
Nez Perce County has 20 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and six probable cases as of Tuesday, according to Lewiston-based Idaho North Central District’s website.
Those 26 combined cases pale in comparison to Ada County’s 531 confirmed COVID-19 cases, yet the two counties have the same death toll. Three additional deaths in Nez Perce County were announced Tuesday for a total of nine. Ada County also had nine coronavirus-related deaths as of Tuesday evening based on information provided by Central District Health.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare also added three new deaths in Twin Falls County for a total of seven, increasing the statewide death count to 39.
All nine Nez Perce deaths have occurred in people 50-plus years of age, according to North Central District. Five have been women and four have been men. They account for 34.6% of all Nez Perce confirmed and probable cases, when the statewide case fatality rate is around 2.66%.
The district didn’t immediately respond to an Idaho Statesman request for more information on the deaths.
With six of the state’s seven health districts reporting updates Tuesday, there were 11 new cases between Ada (1 new, 531 total), Bonneville (2 new, 16 total), Canyon (6 new, 167 total) and Elmore (2 new, 18 total) counties for a total of 1,465 statewide.
Idaho has reported just 66 new coronavirus cases in the past four days, out of 1,634 tests (4%).
Cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in 32 of Idaho’s 44 counties: Ada 531, Adams 1, Bannock 5, Bingham 2, Blaine 458, Bonner 4, Bonneville 16, Camas 1, Canyon 167, Caribou 1, Cassia 10, Custer 2, Elmore 18, Fremont 2, Gem 9, Gooding 5, Idaho 3, Jefferson 4, Jerome 29, Kootenai 45, Latah 3, Lincoln 15, Madison 5, Minidoka 6, Nez Perce 20, Owyhee 4, Payette 9, Power 2, Teton 6, Twin Falls 79, Valley 2, Washington 1.
Idaho has confirmed community spread in 13 counties: Ada, Bingham, Blaine, Bonneville, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Jefferson, Kootenai, Madison, Payette, Teton and Twin Falls.
Health and Welfare reported 15,398 tests had been completed statewide at the end of the day Tuesday. About 9.5% have been positive for COVID-19. There have been 141 hospitalizations, 43 admissions to the ICU and 166 health care workers who have been infected, according to IDHW. The hospital and health care numbers are based on cases with completed investigations into contacts, not the full number of positives.
This story was originally published April 14, 2020 at 4:38 PM.
