Coronavirus: Idaho unemployment keeps declining; art to be shown on Boise City Hall
Idaho has kept up its decline in continued unemployment claims for the 23rd straight week, according to the latest information from the Department of Labor.
The number of continued claims — those who requested unemployment insurance benefit — declined by 8% during the week of Oct. 10 to 8,386. Initial claims for unemployment benefits totaled 3,519 during the same week, increasing by 564 claims.
Total unemployment benefits paid out to Idahoans because of the coronavirus totaled $889.5 million as of Thursday. Of that total, regular state unemployment insurance benefits made up $202.8 million, with the remainder of the money being paid out through federal benefits allocated through the CARES Act.
Art instillation to be displayed at Boise City Hall
A pop-up art instillation will appear at Boise City Hall above Main Street starting at around 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
The instillation — named “The Writing on the Wall” — projects writing by incarcerated people onto prominent buildings. The art instillation is part of a nationwide campaign that highlights the need for prison and justice reform, especially during the coronavirus outbreak.
In addition to “The Writing on the Wall,” a photography presentation by Boise artist Angie Smith called “19 Love Stories” will also be shown Saturday. Smith’s project aims to share a diverse set of stories through the lens of the coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 respiratory disease.
Idaho adds hundreds more coronavirus cases Wednesday
Idaho health districts reported a total of 474 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday, as well as 154 new probable cases, for a total of 628 new cases. The state’s seven-day rolling average is now at 622.3, and it has remained over 600 per day for four straight days.
Ada County reported 85 new confirmed cases Wednesday. Over the past week, Ada has averaged over 100 new confirmed and probable cases per day, from Oct. 7 through Wednesday. The week prior — Sept. 24 through Oct. 1 — the county averaged 92.9 cases.
Coronavirus hospitalizations have also trended upward, as the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 219 hospitalizations in Idaho as of Monday. There are 56 people in intensive care units, just one shy of the state’s high set in late July.
Idaho also reported six new coronavirus deaths Wednesday, including the first deaths in Bonner County, according to the Panhandle Health District. A man and woman, both in their 80s, were Bonner County’s first deaths. Single deaths were reported in Bonneville, Kootenai, Payette and Shoshone counties.
The state’s coronavirus death total was 520 as of Wednesday.
Of Idaho’s 44 counties, 40 reported new confirmed coronavirus cases Wednesday. There are 45,085 confirmed coronavirus cases in Idaho. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare says of those cases, 24,983 have recovered. The department also reports that there are 5,241 “probable” cases in the state.
Health and Welfare also says 342,870 people have been tested for the virus in Idaho, with around 13.1% of those cases being positive.
All Idaho counties except Adams County have reports of community spread.
Coronavirus cases have been found in all of Idaho’s 44 counties: Ada 13,197, Adams 28, Bannock 1,385, Bear Lake 56, Benewah 159, Bingham 1,105, Blaine 738, Boise 59, Bonner 372, Bonneville 2,859, Boundary 53, Butte 64, Camas 31, Canyon 8,355, Caribou 157, Cassia 925, Clark 33, Clearwater 97, Custer 75, Elmore 321, Franklin 230, Fremont 293, Gem 322, Gooding 328, Idaho 255, Jefferson 653, Jerome 793, Kootenai 3,082, Latah 745, Lemhi 127, Lewis 53, Lincoln 99, Madison 1,503, Minidoka 847, Nez Perce 521, Oneida 35, Owyhee 327, Payette 896, Power 286, Shoshone 220, Teton 225, Twin Falls 2,699, Valley 99, Washington 378.
This story was originally published October 15, 2020 at 11:24 AM.
