Idaho reports 29 COVID-19-related deaths, more than 1,500 new cases

Idaho health officials reported 29 new deaths due to COVID-19-related causes Tuesday — the second-most in a single day. That brings the state’s death toll to 966 people since the pandemic began.

The state also recorded 1,099 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 459 new probable cases, for a total of 1,558 new cases reported in one day.

Ada County added 340 new confirmed cases of the virus, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. That brings the countywide total to 22,837 people infected. Ada County’s new seven-day average for confirmed cases reached a new high, at 273.1.

Canyon County reported 158 new confirmed cases of the virus on Tuesday, bringing the countywide total to 14,210 people infected, according to Southwest District Health.

Kootenai County confirmed 142 more confirmed cases, according to Health and Welfare. The additional cases brought the countywide total to 6,956 infections.

Of the 29 new deaths Tuesday, four were in Nez Perce County, four were in Ada County, four were in Twin Falls County, three were in Kootenai County, three were in Idaho County, two were in Jerome County and two were in Bonneville County. Bannock, Franklin, Washington, Elmore, Gooding, Boundary and Lemhi counties each gained one death.

Since the pandemic reached Idaho, a total of 87,556 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed statewide.

Health and Welfare reported a total of 15,886 probable cases and estimated that 41,354 people have recovered from the virus.

Other counties to confirm new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday included: Nez Perce 70 (2,167 total), Latah 30 (1,644 total), Idaho 4 (700 total), Clearwater 2 (484 total), Lewis 4 (187 total), Bannock 24 (2,781 total), Bingham 21 (1,864 total), Franklin 14 (559 total), Oneida 6 (116 total), Bear Lake 4 (157 total), Shoshone 14 (505 total), Benewah 11 (272 total), Bonner 21 (878 total), Boundary 2 (163 total), Adams 4 (95 total), Gem 14 (805 total), Owyhee 4 (641 total), Payette 25 (1,410 total), Washington 11 (652 total), , Boise 1 (113 total), Elmore 9 (677 total), Valley 3 (207 total), Bonneville 73 (5,927 total), Custer 4 (133 total), Fremont 6 (676 total), Jefferson 13 (1,236 total), Madison 27 (3,844 total), Teton 2 (426 total), Blaine 5 (1,208 total), Cassia 2 (1,985 total), Gooding 5 (706 total), Jerome 3 (1,583 total), Lincoln 1 (290 total), Minidoka 4 (1,594 total), Twin Falls 16 (5,668 total).

Emmett Schools reopen with masks

After Thanksgiving, the Emmett School District reopened schools through Dec. 18, when students will leave for Christmas break, but masks will be required.

The only exception for not wearing a face covering is if the student has a doctor’s note, according to a press release from the Emmett School District.

The district reported an increase in Emmett Remote Academy (ERA) applications, related to the fact that some parents did not want their children to wear face coverings.

From Nov. 3-16, the school district reportedly had 92 students or staff in quarantine, 30 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, one probable case, and 10 suspected cases.

At a Board of Trustees meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, trustees will discuss whether students and staff in close contact with a confirmed case of the coronavirus who were confirmed as wearing a mask during the interaction should still be required to do the mandatory quarantine.

Daily Details

Overall hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 4,135 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19, 769 admissions to the ICU and 5,113 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 Nov. 30, the health system was reporting 139 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 501 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 21%.

Saint Alphonsus Health System: As of Nov. 30, the health system was reporting 104 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 298 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 27%.

Boise School District: The district says the following schools or units have reported confirmed COVID-19 cases among students or staff since Nov. 17: Adams Elementary (2), Amity Elementary (2), Boise High (7), Borah High (6), Capital High (4), Collister Elementary (2), District Services (7), Fairmont Junior High (4), Frank Church High (1), Grace Jordan Elementary (2), Hidden Springs Elementary (2), Highlands Elementary (2), Hillcrest Elementary (4), Hillside Junior High (2), Les Bois Junior High (6), Liberty Elementary (3), Longfellow Elementary (1), Lowell Elementary (1), Madison Early Childhood Education Center (1), Maple Grove Elementary (1), Morley Nelson Elementary (2), North Junior High (1), Riverglen Junior High (2), Riverside Elementary (4), Roosevelt Elementary (3), Shadow Hills (1), South Junior High (3), Taft Elementary (2), Timberline High (5), Trail Wind Elementary (1), Valley View Elementary (1), Washington Elementary (2), Whitney Elementary (1), Whittier Elementary (4).

West Ada School District: The district says the following schools or units have reported confirmed COVID-19 cases among students or staff for Nov. 17-30: Centennial High (9), Eagle Academy (2), Eagle High (15), Idaho Fine Arts (2), Meridian Academy (1), Meridian High (8), Mountain View High (21), Renaissance High (10), Rocky Mountain High (14), Virtual High School (1), Crossroads Middle (3), Eagle Middle (3), Heritage Middle (8), Lewis and Clark Middle (3), Lowell Scott Middle (9), Meridian Middle (3), Sawtooth Middle (3), Star Middle (5), Victory Middle (6), Virtual Middle (1), Barbara Morgan STEM (3), Cecil D. Andrus Elementary (2), Chaparral Elementary (1), Christine Donnell (1), Desert Sage Elementary (2), Discovery Elementary (3), Eliza Hart Spalding STEM (3), Frontier Elementary (1), Hillsdale Elementary (4), Hunter Elementary (3), Mary McPherson (4), Meridian Elementary (2), Paramount Elementary (1), Pepper Ridge (3), Pleasant View Elementary (1), Ponderosa Elementary (2), Prospect Elementary (3), River Valley Elementary (4), Seven Oaks Elementary (1), Siena Elementary (1), Silver Sage Elementary (2), Summerwind STEM Academy (1), Ustick Elementary (4).

Testing totals: At the end of the day Tuesday, Health and Welfare reported that 477,248 people had been tested statewide. About 18.3% of those have been positive for COVID-19.

Counties with community spread: All counties except Adams have been announced to have community spread.

Counties with confirmed COVID-19 cases: Ada 22,837, Adams 95, Bannock 2,781, Bear Lake 157, Benewah 272, Bingham 1,864, Blaine 1,208, Boise 113, Bonner 878, Bonneville 5,927, Boundary 163, Butte 105, Camas 41, Canyon 14,210, Caribou 265, Cassia 1,985, Clark 40, Clearwater 484, Custer 133, Elmore 677, Franklin 559, Fremont 676, Gem 805, Gooding 706, Idaho 700, Jefferson 1,236, Jerome 1,583, Kootenai 6,956, Latah 1,644, Lemhi 375, Lewis 187, Lincoln 290, Madison 3,844, Minidoka 1,594, Nez Perce 2,167, Oneida 116, Owyhee 641, Payette 1,410, Power 374, Shoshone 505, Teton 426, Twin Falls 5,668, Valley 207, Washington 652.

This story was originally published December 1, 2020 at 8:19 PM.