Idaho COVID-19 week: State adds over 5,000 new cases, 135 deaths. Positivity rate 10.3%
With the state’s COVID-19 test positivity rate at its lowest point since early September, infection rates and caseloads in Idaho continue to fall.
For the week of Oct. 24, the most recent data available, the state’s test positivity rate was 10.3%, the lowest it’s been since the week of Sept. 5, and the seventh straight week with a declining figure.
The falling number is still more than double the 5% mark targeted by health officials to show control of spread.
Hospital rates also fell throughout the week, with 435 patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 hospitalized as of Wednesday. That number was as high as 793 on Sept. 24. In intensive care units, there were 138 COVID-19 patients on Wednesday, down from 213 on Sept. 24.
On Wednesday, there were also three pediatric patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
Since last Friday, the state has reported 135 COVID-19 deaths, which is four more than the previous week. There have been 3,644 total COVID-19 deaths in Idaho.
Idaho also has reported 5,078 new cases since last Friday, with 803 of the week’s new infections added on Friday and only 662 on Thursday. Health and Welfare has been dealing with a backlog of cases since early October due to the influx of new infections. As of Friday, there were 750 outstanding positive laboratory results needing review by local public health districts, according to the department.
The backlog is likely skewing the numbers reported daily by Health and Welfare.
There now have been 295,948 cases since the start of the pandemic.
Since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made children age 5-11 eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, providers in Idaho have begun preparing to offer eligible children shots. Appointments at many pharmacies and other places are available now.
Long-term care update
As of Friday, Health and Welfare reports that there are 6,594 active coronavirus cases among 136 facilities. There are 211 facilities with resolved outbreaks.
To date, 940 people from 207 facilities in Idaho have died from COVID-19-related causes — 25 more than were reported last Friday. Long-term care deaths account for about 25.8% of the 3,644 deaths in the state.
The most recent data from Health and Welfare show that 79.8% of Idahoans age 65 and older have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Below is a list of Idaho cities along with the number of facilities in each city that have active cases among residents and/or staff. For an outbreak to be considered “resolved,” more than 28 days must pass (two incubation periods) without any additional cases associated with the facility.
American Falls (2), Ashton (1), Bannock (1), Bellevue (1), Blackfoot (3), Boise (25), Bonners Ferry (3), Buhl (1), Burley (2), Caldwell (2), Chubbuck (1), Coeur d’Alene (9), Downey (1), Eagle (4), Emmett (1), Fruitland (1), Garden City (1), Grangeville (1), Hayden (2), Idaho Falls (3), Jerome (1), Kellogg (1), Kuna (2), Lava Hot Springs (1), Lewiston (8), Malad (2), McCall (1), Meridian (13), Middleton (1), Montpelier (2), Moscow (1), Mountain Home (1), Nampa (8), Parma (1), Pinehurst (1), Pocatello (5), Post Falls (5), Rathdrum (1), Rexburg (2), Rupert (1), Salmon (1), Sandpoint (3), St. Maries (1), Star (1), Twin Falls (8), Winchester (1).
Visit coronavirus.idaho.gov for a complete list of long-term facilities with active cases this week.
Weekly snapshot
Vaccine doses administered in Idaho: 1,687,770, according to Health and Welfare. Of those, 836,459 people have been fully vaccinated, which accounts for 55.4% of Idahoans age 12 and older.
Test positivity rate: Out of the 29,365 COVID-19 tests conducted for the week of Oct. 24-30, 10.3% came back positive.
For a full list of daily numbers on a county-by-county basis, visit our “What We Know” story.
This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 7:26 PM with the headline "Idaho COVID-19 week: State adds over 5,000 new cases, 135 deaths. Positivity rate 10.3%."
