Idaho adds 1,300-plus cases and 30 COVID-19 deaths over last two days
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare did not update its COVID-19 data on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
That resulted in a significant increase in new COVID-19 cases and deaths as Tuesday’s update encompassed two days of data. Idaho added 1,096 new confirmed cases and 249 new probable cases for a total of 1,345 new cases. The state last reported more than 1,000 new confirmed cases on Dec. 30.
There were 30 new coronavirus-related deaths reported between 14 counties. Idaho has lost 1,639 residents to the virus, with a case fatality rate of about 1.04%.
The latest deaths were announced in Ada (4 new, 391 total), Bannock (1 new, 79 total), Bonner (1 new, 24 total), Bonneville (1 new, 125 total), Canyon (6 new, 245 total), Caribou (1 new, 11 total), Gem (3 new, 28 total), Jerome (1 new, 18 total), Kootenai (6 new, 146 total), Lincoln (1 new, 10 total), Minidoka (1 new, 26 total), Payette (1 new, 26 total), Twin Falls (2 new, 118 total) and Washington (1 new, 18 total) counties.
Three counties made up nearly 60% of the new confirmed cases added Tuesday. Ada County led the way with 315 new cases, increasing its state-leading total to 36,617 cases. Kootenai County (172 new, 13,359 total) reported the second-largest increase, and Canyon County followed close behind with 164 new cases (19,592 total).
There were 16 counties that saw double-digit jumps: Bonneville (38 new, 8,209 total), Bonner (37 new, 1,994 total), Bannock (35 new, 4,247 total), Blaine (27 new, 1,599 total), Twin Falls (26 new, 6,709 total), Madison (24 new, 4,998 total), Gem (23 new, 1,241 total), Nez Perce (21 new, 2,929 total), Elmore (19 new, 1,134 total), Payette (18 new, 1,802 total), Valley (18 new, 525 total), Clearwater (15 new, 720 total), Latah (15 new, 2,270 total), Bingham (14 new, 2,420 total), Washington (12 new, 815 total) and Caribou (11 new, 321 total).
The other counties with new confirmed cases were Benewah (7 new, 403 total), Boise (9 new, 214 total), Boundary (5 new, 323 total), Camas (1 new, 43 total), Cassia (5 new, 2,355 total), Custer (2 new, 174 total), Franklin (9 new, 785 total), Fremont (4 new, 820 total), Gooding (3 new, 876 total), Idaho (6 new, 858 total), Jefferson (9 new, 1,643 total), Jerome (6 new, 1,871 total), Lincoln (1 new, 354 total), Minidoka (2 new, 1,838 total), Oneida (6 new, 200 total), Owyhee (2 new, 837 total), Power (2 new, 433 total), Shoshone (4 new, 871 total) and Teton (9 new, 535 total).
Since the pandemic reached Idaho, health officials have reported 128,243 confirmed cases overall, plus 28,711 probable cases. Health and Welfare estimates 72,711 Idahoans have recovered from the virus.
Health and Welfare provides vaccine update
The federal government has sent Idaho a total of 163,975 doses of COVID-19 vaccines so far, state health officials said during a live media briefing Tuesday afternoon.
About 69,000 of those nearly 164,000 doses have been administered, officials said. That leaves nearly 100,000 doses unused.
Why haven’t they been administered?
Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen said there are two main reasons for that.
“One is that there definitely has been a ramp-up learning curve for providers, how to administer this vaccine,” he said. “It has requirements (for special) handling. It’s a little more operationally intensive because a) we need to do appointments and b) we need to keep people 6 feet apart because of the pandemic, as well as monitor for 15 to 30 minutes afterwards” to make sure people don’t have serious reactions.
He said health care providers giving the shots have worked out their processes, so that he expects Idaho to be able to give “well north” of 20,000 doses a week.
Each dose represents one half of the two-shot vaccine protocol.
“Just in the last 48 hours here, we’ve seen 9,000 doses completed,” he said.
Jeppesen said health care providers are working on ways to get “high volume” of vaccines out to the community, as rollout groups containing an estimated 500,000 Idahoans will be eligible for shots as of Feb. 1.
“So for example, up in North Idaho, they did a high-volume clinic at the fairgrounds just recently,” Jeppesen said. “There are really plans like that across the state.”
Jeppesen noted that many of the doses that haven’t yet been administered are already reserved for people with appointments. (In addition, many of the doses coming into the state now are the second dose of a two-dose series for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.)
“We actually feel good about where we are, and we see that capacity continuing to increase,” Jeppesen said. “There will always be a lag … between doses received and doses administered, but we see ourselves making that lag … much, much smaller over the next couple of weeks.”
The issues with training, scheduling and other COVID-19 vaccine logistics are not unique to Idaho. Yet, Idaho has been listed by sources such as The Washington Post as among the slowest to vaccinate its population. Why?
“I can’t really speak to what other states’ numbers are, or how they’re reporting or what their processes are, but I can (say that) I feel really good about what the providers here have done and the path they’re on to accelerate, to continue to grow that capacity,” Jeppesen said.
While federal data are slow to update, about 39% of coronavirus vaccine doses have been administered nationwide, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Idaho was at about 29% when that data most recently updated; the state is now at about 42%.
Idaho Gov. Little to expand National Guard help with vaccine distribution
Idaho Gov. Brad Little announced Tuesday that he will increase the number of Idaho National Guard members who can be sent around the state to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
The number of Guard personnel will increase the maximum from 250 to 400, according to a news release from the governor’s office. The additional Guard members will aid in coronavirus vaccine administration.
“Our women and men in the Idaho National Guard have stepped in to meet critical needs at health care facilities across Idaho since the fall, and the availability of additional guardsmen to assist with vaccine distribution moving forward will help us even more in the pandemic fight,” Little said in a news release.
In December, Little expanded the Guard’s presence throughout the Gem State to help health care providers with the state’s coronavirus in any way needed. While many of those already sent out have helped with coronavirus testing, some have helped in other ways, like distributing food to communities in need.
Little also announced Tuesday that the state will offer grants to health care providers in the hopes of administering vaccines more quickly throughout Idaho. He added that state officials want to ensure there are no resource barriers for health care providers trying to make COVID-19 vaccines more readily available.
“The safe and efficient administration of the COVID-19 vaccine in Idaho is my No. 1 priority,” Little said in the news release. “The State of Idaho ensures available doses are sent directly to health care providers, but the providers are the ones to get the shots in the arms of people who want it.”
The grants can be used by enrolled vaccine provider organizations to help increase staff to give out shots, purchase necessary equipment and improve vaccine availability in remote areas for vulnerable populations. State health officials will contact enrolled vaccine providers with details on the grants.
The news release noted that, “The State of Idaho is receiving a disproportionately lower share of vaccine compared to other states because the federal government is not allocating vaccine on a per-capita basis.” Vaccines are shipped directly from manufacturers to local health districts or health care providers, who then dole out vaccines by appointment.
Daily Details
Vaccine doses administered in Idaho: 69,398, according to Health and Welfare. Of those, 47,787 people have received only their first dose.
Overall hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 6,370 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19, 1,114 admissions to the ICU and 8,221 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 Jan. 18, the health system was reporting 60 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 479 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 12%.
Saint Alphonsus Health System: As of Jan. 18, the health system was reporting 62 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 380 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 20.1%.
Testing totals: At the end of the day Tuesday, Health and Welfare reported that 581,299 people had been tested statewide. About 22.1% of those have been positive for COVID-19.
Boise School District: Reported cases since Jan. 5: Boise High (2), Borah High (4), Capital High (1), district services (4), Fairmont Junior High (1), Grace Jordan Elementary (1), Hillcrest Elementary (1), Hillside Junior High (1), Riverglen Junior High (1), Shadow Hills Elementary (1), Timberline High (3), West Junior High (1).
West Ada School District: Reported cases from Jan. 6-19: Centennial High (6), Eagle High (6), Meridian High (1), Mountain View High (8), Rebound School of Opportunity (1), Renaissance High (2), Rocky Mountain High (2), Crossroads Middle (2), Heritage Middle (4), Lake Hazel Middle (2), Lewis and Clark Middle (2), Victory Middle (2), Christine Donnell School (1), Frontier Elementary (2), Galileo STEM Academy (1), Hillsdale Elementary (2), Hunter Elementary (2), Joplin Elementary (1), Mary McPherson Elementary (2), Pleasant View Elementary (1), Ponderosa Elementary (1), Prospect Elementary (1), Siena Elementary (1), Summerwind STEM (1), Willow Creek Elementary (1).
Counties with confirmed COVID-19 cases: Ada 36,617, Adams 230, Bannock 4,247, Bear Lake 226, Benewah 403, Bingham 2,420, Blaine 1,599, Boise 214, Bonner 1,994, Bonneville 8,209, Boundary 323, Butte 145, Camas 43, Canyon 19,592, Caribou 321, Cassia 2,355, Clark 44, Clearwater 720, Custer 174, Elmore 1,134, Franklin 785, Fremont 820, Gem 1,241, Gooding 876, Idaho 858, Jefferson 1,643, Jerome 1,871, Kootenai 13,359, Latah 2,270, Lemhi 396, Lewis 268, Lincoln 354, Madison 4,998, Minidoka 1,838, Nez Perce 2,929, Oneida 200, Owyhee 837, Payette 1,802, Power 433, Shoshone 871, Teton 535, Twin Falls 6,709, Valley 525, Washington 815.
This story was originally published January 19, 2021 at 7:43 PM.