This is how Boise, Meridian, other Ada County cities fare in coronavirus cases, deaths
Boise has endured the most COVID-19 deaths of the six Ada County cities, although its mortality rate is third, new data released from the Central District Health Department show.
The data also show that nearly two-thirds of the COVID-19 cases in Ada County are in Boise, even though its population makes up less than half the county’s.
The Central District Health Department on Thursday provided the Idaho Statesman with its first breakdown of confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths by city. Until now, Idaho’s health districts have provided data only down to the county level, making it hard to know exactly where cases are concentrated.
The data also show that the first known onsets of COVID-19 in Ada County occurred in Boise and Meridian nearly two weeks before March 13, when the state confirmed its first case. Five Boise cases and two Meridian cases came during the week of March 1.
Christine Myron, spokesperson for Central District Health, said city data have been produced only for Ada County. The district covers Boise, Elmore and Valley counties as well.
A spokesperson for Southwest District Health, which covers Canyon County as well as Adams, Gem, Owyhee, Payette and Washington counties, said data remained available only at the county level.
Infections, deaths in Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Kuna, Garden City, Star
Boise has the highest infection rate — about one for every 463 residents. Kuna has the highest case fatality rate, with 6.7% of infected Kunans dying.
Of the 749 cases included in the Ada County data — current as of Wednesday morning, Myron said — Boise had 468 confirmed cases and 26 probable cases, a combined 0.2% of the city’s residents. Eleven Boise residents have died from the virus, 2.2% of those who had it or were assumed to have it.
Meridian has had 143 confirmed and 18 probable cases for a total of 161. Eagle has had 39 confirmed cases and two probable. Garden City has had 10 confirmed cases, Kuna 29 plus one probable, and Star 12 plus one probable.
Nearly two-thirds of Ada County’s cases were from Boise residents, although 2019 Census data show the city, with 228,790 people, has less than half the population of the county, with 481,587.
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean, who saw the data for the first time Wednesday during a meeting with officials from Ada and Canyon counties, said she expected to see more cases in Boise, because the city is denser than others in Ada County and because many people work in it.
“This is why additional precautions are so important, and necessary: to protect our residents, workers and employers, and to make sure businesses can reopen (and) our region can again thrive,” McLean said in an email. “We’ll continue to require safety measures in our city for this reason.”
McLean’s newest public health order, issued Thursday to go into effect Saturday, May 16, requires people to stay 6 feet apart unless there are other protocols in place (salons, for instance, can reopen as long as they follow other health protocols set by the state). That’s a tougher step than the state’s order, which simply recommends the distance.
McLean’s order also restricts who can be at the Boise Airport from employees, ticketed passengers and those helping them, to people picking up or dropping off passengers.
Boise hardest hit in early coronavirus onset
The onset of Ada County cases peaked during the week of March 15, two weeks after the first known onset and just days after the first confirmed case was announced.
The city of Boise was hit hardest that week, with 109 confirmed cases from Boise residents and two probable cases.
Gov. Brad Little declared a state of emergency March 13 and issued his original stay-home order on March 25. While the order was in effect, the number of new cases waned, according to the data, although Ada County reported new cases and deaths as recently as Thursday evening.
This story was originally published May 15, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
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