Idaho reports fewer than 100 new COVID cases; another case found in Kuna schools
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 8:39 p.m. Sept. 14 to correct the daily and all-time totals for Idaho’s confirmed coronavirus cases.
For the second time in a week, Idaho reported fewer than 100 new coronavirus infections, according to data published Sunday by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and local health districts.
Statewide, Idaho added 79 new daily cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The state reported only 57 cases on Labor Day last Monday. The lower case numbers are likely due in part to the fact that some of Idaho’s health districts don’t report new information on weekends or holidays. Still, the low case counts come as Idaho has seen a downward trend in its COVID-19 diagnoses.
Bonneville County, home to Idaho Falls in Eastern Idaho, reported the most new cases on Sunday: 24. Behind Bonneville were Idaho’s two most populous counties, Ada and Canyon, with 22 and 7 new cases, respectively.
Nine other counties reported new coronavirus infections on Sunday: Clark (1 new, 21 total), Custer (3 new, 47 total), Elmore (1 new, 252 total), Fremont (1 new, 122 total), Gem (1 new, 238 total), Jefferson (5 new, 349 total), Madison (9 new, 276 total), Payette (4 new, 680 total) and Washington (1 new, 296 total).
Since the start of the pandemic, 32,825 Idahoans have tested positive for coronavirus. Health officials have also reported 2,773 “probable” cases (17 new).
Another COVID case found in Kuna schools
The Kuna School District reported its fourth confirmed or probable coronavirus case on Friday in a letter to parents.
A student at Fremont Middle School tested positive for COVID-19, Kuna Superintendent Wendy Johnson wrote. She added the student tested positive during the Labor Day weekend and was not contagious while attending school.
Kuna publicly shared two students tested positive for COVID-19 the previous week, a second-grader at Crimson Point Elementary and a Kuna High student. Kuna High also had a probable case.
Kuna, home to 5,600 students, also announced Friday it plans to start gradually returning students to in-person classes five days a week starting Oct. 5 with kindergartners, first-graders and second-graders.
DAILY DETAILS
Overall hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 1,604 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19, 423 admissions to the ICU and 2,385 health care workers 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 Sept. 12, the health system was reporting 36 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 370 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 6%.
Saint Alphonsus Health System: As of Sept. 12, the health system was reporting 33 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 349 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 12.2%.
Boise School District: The district says the following schools have reported confirmed COVID-19 cases among students or staff since Aug. 17: Adams Elementary (2 cases), Boise Online School (1), Borah High (3), Hillcrest Elementary (1), Maple Grove Elementary (1), Roosevelt Elementary (1) and West Junior High (1).
Testing totals: At the end of the day Saturday, Health and Welfare reported that 275,840 tests had been completed statewide. About 11.8% of those have been positive for COVID-19.
Counties with confirmed COVID-19 cases: Ada 11,039, Adams 25, Bannock 831, Bear Lake 42, Benewah 126, Bingham 705, Blaine 591, Boise 52, Bonner 239, Bonneville 1,817, Boundary 45, Butte 29, Camas 4, Canyon 7,240, Caribou 63, Cassia 543, Clark 21, Clearwater 25, Custer 47, Elmore 252, Franklin 66, Fremont 122, Gem 238, Gooding 213, Idaho 54, Jefferson 349, Jerome 599, Kootenai 2,336, Latah 263, Lemhi 54, Lewis 12, Lincoln 66, Madison 276, Minidoka 544, Nez Perce 347, Oneida 19, Owyhee 290, Payette 680, Power 182, Shoshone 207, Teton 123, Twin Falls 1,673, Valley 80, Washington 296.
Counties with community spread: All counties but Adams, Butte, Camas and Franklin have been announced to have community spread.
Statesman reporter Michael Lycklama contributed.
This story was originally published September 13, 2020 at 5:49 PM.
