COVID: Idaho adds over 70 coronavirus cases to prison totals, surpasses 10,000 tests
Over 70 nonsymptomatic coronavirus cases were added to the Idaho Department of Correction’s prison numbers late last week.
IDOC has now conducted over 10,000 coronavirus tests among those incarcerated in Idaho, according to the department’s website.
When its numbers were updated Friday, 498 new tests were added to its totals, as well as 77 new nonsymptomatic cases. Just one symptomatic positive case was added Friday. The remaining tests — all 420 of them — returned negative. The numbers were updated again Monday, with no additional positives reported and 19 negative tests added.
IDOC says that 42 people in prison who tested positive were showing symptoms as of Monday evening, and there were 468 asymptomatic positive cases. As of Monday, 1,297 people who have tested positive have been medically cleared or released from prison custody.
On Monday, the updated IDOC numbers show that 128 people incarcerated at the Saguaro Correctional Center — a private prison in Arizona that houses Idaho inmates — were moved into the “inactive” category after testing positive. Monday’s numbers show there are two ongoing symptomatic cases among Idaho inmates there. There are no active positive cases among nonsymptomatic people, according to the IDOC numbers.
Here’s where to vote early in Ada County
The Ada County Elections Office will have four locations where residents can vote early for the November elections. Precincts will be open for in-person voting on Election Day as well, but officials expect the bulk of people to vote via absentee ballot because of the pandemic.
Early voting can be done at the following locations:
- Ada County Elections Office: 400 N. Benjamin Lane, Boise
- Meridian City Hall: 33 E. Broadway Ave., Meridian
- Boise Basque Center: 601 W. Grove St., Boise
- Eagle Hope Lutheran Church: 331 N. Linder Road, Eagle
You can cast your ballot at these locations starting on Oct. 13 and ending on Oct. 30. All locations will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., as well as on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Early polling locations are not open on Sundays.
To register to vote, check your ballot status or for more information, go to www.idahovotes.gov.
The final day of voter registration in Idaho is this Friday, Oct. 9, although you may register and vote on Election Day itself.
Nearly 500 new COVID cases reported Monday in Idaho
Idaho’s seven health districts added 498 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Monday, pushing the state’s seven-day moving average even higher.
With the addition of Monday’s total, that average for Idaho is now 497.4 cases per day. If the average were to again rise and break 500, it would be the first time since July 31 to hit that mark.
In addition to the new cases, five deaths were reported Monday. One death was reported in each of the following counties: Ada, Bannock, Cassia, Franklin and Kootenai.
According to Southeast Idaho Public Health, a Bannock County woman in her 70s and a Franklin County man in his 80s were among those deaths added to the state’s coronavirus death total. The Franklin County man was the county’s first coronavirus death.
As of Monday, Idaho has reported 487 coronavirus deaths in the state.
Ada County added 70 new confirmed cases Monday, and its total now stands at 12,396.
Coronavirus cases continue to roll in for Eastern Idaho, as Madison County added 56 new confirmed cases on Monday. Other Eastern and southeastern Idaho counties added double-digit coronavirus cases on Monday, including Bannock (36 new), Bonneville (29) and Franklin (16).
Other counties that added double-digit new totals Monday include Bingham (11), Nez Perce (12), Kootenai (28), Twin Falls (29), Minidoka (16) and Cassia (18).
Idaho passed the 40,000 confirmed-case mark Monday, as its total cases are now at 40,343.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 49 new “probable” cases of the the coronavirus in the state, and that total was 4,291 as of Monday.
Of those confirmed to have the virus, 23,115 people are presumed to be recovered, according to IDHW. Around 319,945 people have been tested for the coronavirus in Idaho, with around 12.6% of those tests coming back positive for COVID-19.
Coronavirus cases have been reported in all of Idaho’s 44 counties: Ada 12,396, Adams 28, Bannock 1,160, Bear Lake 50, Benewah 152, Bingham 982, Blaine 669, Boise 58, Bonner 338, Bonneville 2,459, Boundary 49, Butte 44, Camas 30, Canyon 7,911, Caribou 115, Cassia 743, Clark 32, Clearwater 67, Custer 64, Elmore 298, Franklin 171, Fremont 243, Gem 304, Gooding 277, Idaho 215, Jefferson 544, Jerome 715, Kootenai 2,806, Latah 600, Lemhi 91, Lewis 38, Lincoln 76, Madison 935, Minidoka 710, Nez Perce 446, Oneida 26, Owyhee 307, Payette 826, Power 260, Shoshone 215, Teton 186, Twin Falls 2,260, Valley 90, Washington 357.
All Idaho counties but one — Adams County — have reported community spread.
This story was originally published October 6, 2020 at 12:42 PM.
