COVID-19: Idaho adds 1,835 new cases, 11 deaths Tuesday. Schools seek testing help
As Idaho continues to combat one of the worst health crises in state history, it added 1,835 new cases and 11 deaths to its pandemic totals on Tuesday, according to updated data from Health and Welfare.
At a press conference on Tuesday, state health officials stressed the importance of vaccination in reducing hospitalizations and deaths, as COVID-19 patients are still overwhelming hospitals.
“What we hear every day from the hospitals is that they are almost bartering,” said Christine Hahn, state epidemiologist, at Tuesday’s press conference. “Hey, we’ve got one bed available. Oh, we’ve got two beds over here.”
Though the state’s COVID-19 dashboard shows hospitalizations have declined somewhat in recent days, Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen said on Tuesday that the bed availability could be, in part, attributed to the high number of deaths recently.
Since the start of September, Idaho has added 619 deaths to push its total to the verge of 3,000, according to data from Health and Welfare. Since Friday, the state has reported a new death of an individual between the ages of 18 and 29.
“We have had a record number of deaths here in the month of September and that continues into October,” said Jeppesen. “That actually could be part of the reason why we’re seeing some of those numbers come down, as it could be related to not only new patients coming in but, unfortunately, to the tremendous number of patients that have passed away in the last six weeks.”
As a result of the large number of cases, local public health districts continue to struggle to process the high number of new positive cases. According to the state dashboard, Health and Welfare has a backlog of around 8,400 cases.
SCHOOL TESTING FUNDING
Fifty-five Idaho schools or school districts have asked for either funding or test kits from the state to help bolster testing programs, according to Kathryn Turner, deputy state epidemiologist.
On Tuesday, Turner said the state is allocating over $4 million to 19 schools or districts, while another 13 have declined funding but are asking for test kits, she said. The state has ordered 25,000 PCR test kits — a highly accurate COVID-19 test — from VAULT Health, a testing company, which Health and Welfare will make available to schools, which can distribute them to parents and staff.
The state is also exploring making at-home rapid tests available to schools, and also providing schools with tests that could be analyzed on location, Turner added.
“We’re doing everything we can to get them the resources they need,” Turner said.
Already this school year, multiple schools have had to temporarily shut down because of COVID-19 outbreaks, and most Idaho schools are not enforcing mask mandates, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended nationwide to reduce viral spread.
