Idaho’s COVID-19 hospitalizations fall below 500 for the first time since late August
Idaho’s COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to decline, according to the latest data released Tuesday by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
As of Saturday, there were 474 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Idaho, including 154 in intensive care. Idaho’s hospitalizations first dipped below 500 on Oct. 29, which is the lowest those numbers have been since late August.
Health and Welfare reported 925 new COVID-19 cases and six new deaths Tuesday. The latest deaths were added in Ada (3 new, 780 total), Canyon (2 new, 521 total) and Elmore (1 new, 45 total) counties.
Updated demographics indicate that two of the individuals were 80 or older, plus one individual in their 70s, one in their 60s, one in their 50s and one in their 40s. Idaho has lost 3,577 residents to the virus, with a case fatality rate of about 1.22%.
Of the 925 new cases added Tuesday, three counties saw triple-digit increases: Ada (213 new), Bonneville (104) and Canyon (124).
Health and Welfare is still waiting on approximately 1,000 outstanding positive laboratory results that are pending local public health district review and follow-up. Some of Tuesday’s cases may have come from that backlog for the most recent two-week period, which may skew the state’s seven-day moving average, which currently stands at 794.6 cases per day — the sixth day in a row below 1,000.
Idaho’s COVID-19 vaccination rate among Idahoans 12 and older is 55.2%. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted unanimously Tuesday to approve Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11.
For a county-by-county breakdown of Tuesday’s cases and deaths, see our “What we know file” at IdahoStatesman.com.
