Three new deaths, more than 50 coronavirus cases added over holiday weekend
Three new deaths from the coronavirus were reported in Twin Falls County over the holiday weekend, increasing the county’s total to 22. Meanwhile, a death in Ada County originally attributed to COVID-19 was removed.
That puts the statewide death toll from the coronavirus at 81. All three of the new deaths in Twin Falls County were individuals over the age of 80, according to demographics on the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s website.
“The individual (in Ada County) tested positive for COVID post-mortem, so they were originally counted,” Central District Health spokesperson Christine Myron wrote in an email to the Idaho Statesman. “But when the death certificate came through, the physician determined that COVID was not a contributing cause of death for that individual.”
Most health districts update their websites only Monday through Friday, and Health and Welfare had technical issues Saturday that delayed its website update, IDHW spokesperson Niki Forbing-Orr told the Idaho Statesman. For that reason, the Statesman’s Tuesday report includes new confirmed cases for Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
Using information provided by the state’s seven health districts, there were 60 new confirmed cases over the holiday weekend, increasing the statewide total to 2,463. There are 241 “probable cases” throughout the state, an increase of two from Saturday. Health and Welfare reports that 2,100 cases are “presumed recovered.”
Outbreaks at food processing plants have contributed to the recent increase in cases in places such as Cassia County, which is part of the South Central Public Health District. At least 44 workers at Ida-Beef, a large slaughterhouse and meatpacking facility in Burley, have tested positive for the coronavirus. On Tuesday, Cassia County became the 19th county in the state — and fifth in its region — with community spread of COVID-19, according to a South Central press release.
The new confirmed cases added since Friday were in Ada (4 new, 746 total), Bannock (2 new, 16 total), Benewah (3 new, 3 total), Bonneville (3 new, 21 total), Canyon (2 new, 266 total), Cassia (11 new, 49 total), Gooding (3 new, 35 total), Jerome (14 new, 131 total), Lincoln (2 new, 30 total), Madison (1 new, 13 total), Minidoka (3 new, 35 total), Nez Perce (1 new, 73 total) and Twin Falls (12 new, 330 total).
Owyhee County’s total was reduced from nine to eight cases.
“During the epidemiological investigation when our staff reached the patient and verified the address, it was for a different county and the address was updated,” Southwest District Health spokesperson Katrina Williams told the Statesman in an email. “Data are preliminary and sometimes change during the epidemiological investigations.”
DAILY DETAILS
Hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 231 hospitalizations due to the coronavirus, 95 admissions to the ICU and 300 health care workers who have been infected. The hospital and health care numbers are based on cases with completed investigations into contacts, not the full number of positives.
Testing totals: At the end of the day Tuesday, Health and Welfare reported that 42,776 tests had been completed statewide. About 5.8% have been positive for COVID-19.
Counties with confirmed COVID-19 cases: Ada 746, Adams 3, Bannock 16, Benewah 3, Bingham 6, Blaine 499, Bonner 4, Bonneville 21, Camas 1, Canyon 266, Caribou 1, Cassia 49, Custer 2, Elmore 30, Fremont 2, Gem 13, Gooding 35, Idaho 3, Jefferson 5, Jerome 131, Kootenai 66, Latah 6, Lemhi 1, Lincoln 30, Madison 13, Minidoka 35, Nez Perce 73, Owyhee 8, Payette 19, Power 3, Teton 10, Twin Falls 330, Valley 2 and Washington 31.
Counties with community spread: Ada, Bannock, Bingham, Blaine, Bonneville, Canyon, Cassia, Elmore, Gem, Jefferson, Jerome, Kootenai, Lemhi, Owyhee, Madison, Minidoka, Payette, Teton and Twin Falls.
This story was originally published May 26, 2020 at 6:45 PM.
