Idaho COVID-19 week: Metrics improve, positivity rate falls ahead of Legislature’s return
Idaho is on the cusp of surpassing 300,000 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, but most metrics have declined steadily in recent weeks, including the state’s positivity rate.
The number of hospitalizations and intensive care patients also has dropped, but crisis standards of care remain in place. As of Nov. 10, Idaho had 377 hospitalized patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and 118 patients in ICU, according to data from the Department of Health and Welfare. The number of hospitalized patients peaked on Sept. 24, with 793, including 213 in intensive care.
Idaho remains one of the nation’s least vaccinated states — ranking third from the bottom, with 55.9% of residents 12 years or older fully vaccinated. Republicans in the state Legislature are reconvening next week to consider drafts of many bills related to vaccine mandates, proof of vaccination and masking requirements. Several Idaho businesses already have required vaccination for their employers.
In recent weeks, Gov. Brad Little has joined other states on two lawsuits countering the mandates that apply to federal contractors and employees of large businesses. Multiple other states are also suing the federal government over the administration’s mandate that applies to health care workers.
In a Nov. 4 statement, Little called the president’s actions “unprecedented federal overreach.”
New cases and deaths
Idaho added 3,626 cases this week, the lowest weekly total since early August. Health officials caught up with a weekslong backlog of cases caused by the large influx of COVID-19 infections during the surge in September and October.
For the week of Oct. 31-Nov. 6 — the most recent data available — the state’s positivity rate fell once again, to 9.2%. That rate has declined for eight straight weeks, but is still higher than the 5% rate that heath officials target. It’s also the first time it’s been under 10% since late July.
The state added 91 deaths this week, and Idaho reported the first death of a child from COVID-19. The infant died in October, according to Health and Welfare.
Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 3,735 deaths in Idaho and 299,574 cases.
On Thursday, leaders at St. Luke’s, Idaho’s largest hospital system — which requested the state activate crisis standards of care in September — pointed to multiple promising developments that are allowing the hospital to slowly return to normal. Overflow patient units are closing, health care workers are returning to their standard assignments, and thousands of delayed surgeries and procedures are restarting.
Dr. Frank Johnson, chief medical officer for St. Luke’s hospitals in Boise, Elmore and McCall, told reporters that he is “cautiously optimistic” that “we won’t see this dramatic surge again like what we saw this time.”
But he added that COVID-19 is still a problem in Idaho.
“I don’t want to suggest that the mission is accomplished,” he said. “Be thoughtful over how we are interacting with groups and how we’re working to protect our neighbors through the next couple of months.”
Long-term care update
As of Friday, Health and Welfare reports that there are 6,297 active coronavirus cases among 136 long-term care facilities. There are 212 facilities with resolved outbreaks.
To date, 952 people from 207 facilities in Idaho have died from COVID-19-related causes — 12 more than were reported last Friday. Long-term care deaths account for about 25% of the 3,735 in the state.
The most recent statistics from Health and Welfare show that 80.1% 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 (1), Ashton (1), Bannock (1), Bellevue (1), Blackfoot (3), Boise (24), Bonners Ferry (2), Burley (1), Caldwell (2), Chubbuck (1), Coeur d’Alene (11), Downey (1), Eagle (4), Emmett (1), Fruitland (1), Garden City (1), Grangeville (1), Hayden (3), Idaho Falls (3), Jerome (1), Kellogg (1), Kootenai (1), Kuna (2), Lava Hot Springs (1), Lewiston (9), Malad (2), McCall (1), Meridian (13), Middleton (1), Montpelier (2), Moscow (1), Mountain Home (1), Nampa (7), Parma (1), Pinehurst (1), Pocatello (5), Post Falls (5), Rexburg (1), Rupert (1), Salmon (1), Sandpoint (3), Silverton (1), St. Maries (1), Star (1), Twin Falls (8), Weiser (1), Winchester (1).
Weekly snapshot
Vaccine doses administered in Idaho: 1,701,774, according to Health and Welfare. Of those, 843,741 people have been fully vaccinated, which accounts for 55.9% of Idahoans age 12 and older.
Test positivity rate: Out of the 30,845 COVID-19 tests conducted for the week of Oct. 31 - Nov. 6, 9.2% came back positive.
For a full list of daily numbers on a county-by-county basis, visit our “What We Know” story.
