August on pace to be deadliest COVID-19 month so far for Idahoans as virus persists
There were eight new deaths from COVID-19 reported Tuesday throughout Idaho, putting August on pace to be the deadliest month for the state since the start of the pandemic in March.
A total of 283 Idahoans have lost their lives to the coronavirus out of 28,357 confirmed and probable cases — a case fatality rate of about 1%. An average of 3.23 people died per day from the virus during the month of July (100 total deaths), while August (90) has seen an average of 5 deaths per day.
The new deaths reported Tuesday were in Canyon (3 new, 61 total), Ada (2 new, 98 total), Kootenai (1 new, 22 total), Payette (1 new, 4 total) and Shoshone (1 new, 5 total) counties. No details were provided on any of them, but analyzing updated demographics from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, one of the individuals was in their 40s. Nineteen people younger than 60 have succumbed to the virus in Idaho.
The state’s seven health districts announced 319 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, with eight counties showing double-digit increases. Canyon County led the way with 84 new cases (6,188 total), according to Southwest District Health, and has a 14-day moving average of 91.7 cases per day.
Ada County checked in with 60 new cases (9,500 total), dropping its 14-day average to 122.9. Payette (17 new, 428 total), Twin Falls (14 new, 1,388 total), Bannock (15 new, 518 total), Bingham (17 new, 363 total), Bonneville (19 new, 1,115 total) and Jefferson (10 new, 235 total) counties also showed double-digit increases.
South Central Public Health District announced just the second case — and first since March 31 — in Camas County.
The other counties adding confirmed cases were Bear Lake (2 new, 31 total), Benewah (8 new, 78 total), Blaine (3 new, 574 total), Boundary (2 new, 42 total), Butte (1 new, 3 total), Cassia (7 new, 512 total), Custer (4 new, 15 total), Elmore (3 new, 215 total), Fremont (2 new, 84 total), Gooding (2 new, 166 total), Jerome (8 new, 478 total), Kootenai (4 new, 1,982 total), Latah (8 new, 146 total), Lemhi (2 new, 47 total), Lincoln (1 new, 56 total), Madison (5 new, 160 total), Minidoka (3 new, 480 total), Nez Perce (5 new, 175 total), Oneida (1 new, 15 total), Owyhee (1 new, 256 total), Power (4 new, 80 total), Shoshone (1 new, 169 total), Teton (1 new, 87 total) and Washington (4 new, 230 total).
Health and Welfare reported there were 1,895 “probable cases” of coronavirus (44 new). The state also said 11,397 people were presumed to have recovered from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
DAILY DETAILS
Overall hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 1,170 hospitalizations because of the coronavirus, 328 admissions to the ICU and 1,698 health care workers who have been 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 Aug. 17, the hospital was reporting a 14-day coronavirus testing positivity rate of 9%, with 53 patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 out of 454 patients overall.
Saint Alphonsus Health System: As of Aug. 17, the hospital was reporting a 14-day coronavirus positivity testing rate of 20.53%, with 53 patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 out of 375 patients overall.
Testing totals: At the end of the day Tuesday, Health and Welfare reported that 227,228 tests had been completed statewide. About 11.6% of those have been positive for COVID-19.
Counties with confirmed COVID-19 cases: Ada 9,500, Adams 21, Bannock 518, Bear Lake 31, Benewah 78, Bingham 363, Blaine 574, Boise 41, Bonner 186, Bonneville 1,115, Boundary 42, Butte 3, Camas 2, Canyon 6,188, Caribou 32, Cassia 512, Clark 12, Clearwater 17, Custer 15, Elmore 215, Franklin 47, Fremont 84, Gem 175, Gooding 166, Idaho 35, Jefferson 235, Jerome 478, Kootenai 1,982, Latah 146, Lemhi 47, Lewis 5, Lincoln 56, Madison 160, Minidoka 480, Nez Perce 175, Oneida 15, Owyhee 256, Payette 428, Power 80, Shoshone 169, Teton 87, Twin Falls 1,388, Valley 73 and Washington 230.
Counties with community spread: Ada, Bannock, Bear Lake, Benewah, Bingham, Blaine, Boise, Bonner, Bonneville, Boundary, Canyon, Caribou, Cassia, Clark, Clearwater, Custer, Elmore, Fremont, Gem, Gooding, Idaho, Jefferson, Jerome, Kootenai, Latah, Lemhi, Lewis, Lincoln, Madison, Minidoka, Nez Perce, Oneida, Owyhee, Payette, Power, Shoshone, Teton, Twin Falls, Valley and Washington.
This story was originally published August 18, 2020 at 7:06 PM.
