Idaho’s COVID-19 caseload drops to mid-October level, but death toll increases by 21

Twenty-one more people were reported dead Thursday in Idaho due to COVID-19-related causes, including a Bonneville County woman between the ages of 18 and 29.

With Idaho’s death toll now at 1,658 people, the Bonneville County woman is the third Idahoan in that age range to die of COVID-19-related causes.

Idaho reported 472 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Thursday and 182 new probable cases, for a total of 654 new cases reported in one day.

The statewide test positivity rate, which the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare updates on Thursdays, showed the same rate for the last two weeks, 11.4%.

Ada County reported 132 new confirmed cases on Thursday, bringing the countywide total to 36,892 cases confirmed, according to Health and Welfare.

Kootenai County reported 90 new confirmed cases, bringing the countywide total to 13,501 cases confirmed, according to Panhandle Health District.

Canyon County reported 53 new confirmed cases, bringing the countywide total to 19,712 cases confirmed, according to Southwest District Health.

The state’s seven-day moving average for new cases is down to 696.1, the lowest it’s been since Oct. 18. The average has dropped 32% in the past 11 days.

Of the 21 new deaths reported Thursday, two were people from Bingham County, four were from Bonneville County, two from Canyon County, three from Ada County and four from Kootenai County. Bannock, Jefferson, Custer, Payette, Washington and Bonner counties each saw one new death.

In Wednesday’s story on coronavirus cases, the Idaho Statesman miscounted the number of new deaths due to an error in updating our tracking documents the prior day. There were no new deaths reported Wednesday and two were removed in Gem County.

Since the pandemic reached Idaho, 129,222 cases have been confirmed.

Health and Welfare estimates 74,269 people have recovered from the virus and reports 29,137 probable cases.

Other counties to confirm new cases of coronavirus Thursday include: Latah (20 total, 2,296 total), Idaho (2 new, 860 total), Nez Perce (8 new, 2,945 total), Clearwater (1 new, 721 total), Shoshone (1 new, 881 total), Benewah (2 new, 405 total) Boundary (3 new, 333 total), Bonner (14 new, 2,038 total), Bonneville (8 new, 8,256 total), Fremont (5 new, 826 total), Jefferson (8 new, 1,655 total), Madison (7 new, 5,022 total), Teton (7 new, 549 total), Bannock (15 new, 4,289 total), Franklin (2 new, 787 total), Oneida (1 new, 203 total), Power (2 new, 436 total), Bear Lake (2 new, 228 total), Bingham (8 new, 2,433 total), Adams (1 new, 232 total), Gem (4 new, 1,246 total), Owyhee (1 new, 840 total), Payette (5 new, 1,813 total), Elmore (7 new, 1,147 total), Valley (6 new, 535 total), Blaine (19 new, 1,646 total), Camas (2 new, 45 total), Cassia (4 new, 2,361 total), Gooding (3 new, 881 total), Jerome (7 new, 1,883 total), Lincoln (1 new, 355 total), Minidoka (4 new, 1,846 total), Twin Falls (17 new, 6,737 total).

Southwest District Health update

Some of the counties within Southwest District Health’s jurisdiction have seen improvement, such as Adams County, but others, such as Owyhee County, still struggle, according to data collected between Jan. 3 and Jan. 16.

Adams, Gem, and Payette counties have moved to the orange COVID-19 health alert level this week, a lower category. But Owyhee, Canyon and Washington counties are at the red health alert level. As of Jan. 16, the daily districtwide incidence rate per 10,000 population is 5.80.

Canyon County has a positivity rate of 14.48%. Owyhee County has a test positivity rate of 32.86% that is increasing dramatically, which shows that COVID-19 is much more prevalent than case data show, according to Southwest District Health. Owyhee County had cluster outbreaks due to socail gatherings and school.

The test positivity rate for Washington County is 19.23%. Meanwhile, the test positivity rate for Adams County is at 6.67%.

Mountain Home Air Force vaccinations

The 366th Medical Treatment Facility received a shipment of COVID-19 vaccines, and health care professionals began administering them on Tuesday.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Andrew Neubauer, 366th Security Forces squadron commander, was the first person to receive the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at Mountain Home Air Force Base, according to a news release from the the base.

The vaccine was delivered as part of Operation Warp Speed, a national effort to combat the spread of COVID-19.

“This effort will take months, not weeks — and the effects of the coronavirus will continue to be felt for some time,” said. Col. Rick Goodman, 366th Fighter Wing commander, in the news release. “This is an important step we’ve been anticipating and planning for.”

The 366th MTF will vaccinate in accordance with the Department of Defense priorities. Airmen will be notified by their chain of command when it is their turn.

Though the appointment to go to the treatment facility will be mandatory, receiving the vaccine will be optional.

Daily Details

Vaccine doses administered in Idaho: 77,781, according to Health and Welfare. Of those, 51,497 people have received only their first dose.

Overall hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 6,440 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19, 1,125 admissions to the ICU and 8,350 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. 20, the health system was reporting 51 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 505 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 11%.

Saint Alphonsus Health System: As of Jan. 20, the health system was reporting 55 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 395 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 19.7%.

Testing totals: At the end of the day Thursday, Health and Welfare reported that 585,359 people had been tested statewide. About 22.1% of those have been positive for COVID-19.

Boise School District: Reported cases since Jan. 19: Borah High (1), East Junior High (1), Riverside Elementary (1), Pierce Park Elementary (1), West Junior High (1).

West Ada School District: Reported cases from Jan. 7-20: Centennial High (8), Eagle High (4), Idaho Fine Arts (1), Meridian High (1), Mountain View High (9), Rebound School of Opportunity (1), Renaissance High (2), Rocky Mountain High (2), Crossroads Middle (1), Heritage Middle (2), Lake Hazel Middle (2), Lewis and Clark Middle (2), Meridian Middle (1), Victory Middle (2), Frontier Elementary (2), Galileo STEM Academy (1), Hillsdale Elementary (3), Hunter Elementary (2), Joplin Elementary (1), Mary McPherson Elementary (2), Paramount Elementary (1), Pleasant View Elementary (1), Ponderosa Elementary (1), Prospect Elementary (1), Siena Elementary (1), Summerwind STEM (2), Willow Creek Elementary (1).

Counties with confirmed COVID-19 cases: Ada 36,892, Adams 232, Bannock 4,289, Bear Lake 228, Benewah 405, Bingham 2,433, Blaine 1,646, Boise 215, Bonner 2,038, Bonneville 8,256, Boundary 333, Butte 147, Camas 45, Canyon 19,712, Caribou 322, Cassia 2,361, Clark 44, Clearwater 721, Custer 175, Elmore 1,147, Franklin 787, Fremont 826, Gem 1,246, Gooding 881, Idaho 860, Jefferson 1,655, Jerome 1,883, Kootenai 13,501, Latah 2,296, Lemhi 396, Lewis 268, Lincoln 355, Madison 5,022, Minidoka 1,846, Nez Perce 2,945, Oneida 203, Owyhee 840, Payette 1,813, Power 436, Shoshone 881, Teton 549, Twin Falls 6,737, Valley 535, Washington 820.

This story was originally published January 21, 2021 at 6:47 PM.