Idaho COVID-19 week: Positivity rate falls, booster shots, new crisis standards rule
COVID-19 numbers continued to improve in Idaho this week — with the test positivity rate also falling again — and the state health board approved a measure allowing for the extended application of crisis standards of care in hospitals.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare also endorsed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s move to make all American adults eligible for booster shots six months after getting fully vaccinated.
The state added 658 cases on Friday to bring the total to 3,474 since Nov. 12. For the week of Nov. 7, the most recent data available, the state’s positivity rate was 7.2%, way down from 17.3% just two months ago. The new figure marked nine straight weeks of a declining rate, although the percentage is still a little above the 5% mark that health experts target.
Infections at long-term care facilities are also falling. On Nov. 12, there were 6,297 people with COVID-19 at such facilities, and 136 facilities with active outbreaks. As of Friday, a week later, there were 5,680 active cases among 122 facilities.
As of Nov. 17, there were 347 hospital patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and 108 patients in an intensive care unit, according to state data. At the peak of this year’s surge, on Sept. 24, there were 793 patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 and 213 in ICU.
Idaho added 110 new deaths the past seven days, with 19 of those recorded on Friday. There have been 3,845 COVID-19-related deaths since the pandemic began.
Since last March, 13,253 Idahoans have been hospitalized with COVID-19, and there have been 2,235 admissions to an ICU.
Crisis standards rule for hospitals
On Thursday, the Idaho Board of Health and Welfare approved a temporary rule allowing for the “timely” activation of crisis standards of care when hospital capacity is overwhelmed.
The special meeting was held a day after the state Legislature finally adjourned for the year officially, which caused the previous temporary rule — which had the same effect — to expire. That rule was adopted last December, and it allowed for the state to quickly activate crisis standards in September when the number of largely unvaccinated COVID-19 patients entering hospitals exceeded the available health care resources.
Crisis standards have been statewide for over nine weeks now. The newly adopted crisis standards temporary rule will expire once the next legislative session adjourns in 2022, according to a spokesperson for Health and Welfare, Niki Forbing-Orr.
Vaccine boosters for all adults
On Friday, Health and Welfare endorsed a new CDC guideline that all American adults who received the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccines be eligible to receive booster shots six months after their second shot, according to a news release.
Previously, health authorities were recommending booster doses only for recipients of the two-dose vaccines who were 65 and older, or other adults with underlying conditions, those who worked in an area with an increased risk of exposure or those who were residents of long-term care facilities. For Americans who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the CDC recommended in October that all adults get a booster dose two months after the first shot with any available vaccine.
“While the vaccines continue to provide good protection against hospitalization and death from severe COVID-19 illness, we’re concerned that we might see another surge in cases as people gather together for the holidays,” Dr. Christine Hahn, state epidemiologist, said in a Friday news release. “A booster dose of added protection could help to keep our hospitalizations down, and by keeping families healthier, will help ensure that Idahoans can return to school and work in good health after the holidays.”
Booster doses are available at many pharmacies, primary care providers and other locations. Idaho residents can visit Vaccines.gov to look for available shots near where they live.
Idaho remains one of the country’s least-vaccinated states, with 56.3% of Idahoans 12 and older fully vaccinated, compared to the national average of 69%.
Long-term care update
As of Friday, Health and Welfare reports that there are 5,680 active coronavirus cases among 122 long-term care facilities. There are 228 facilities with resolved outbreaks.
To date, 965 people from 211 facilities in Idaho have died from COVID-19-related causes — 13 more than were reported last Friday. Long-term care deaths account for about 25% of the 3,845 in the state.
The most recent statistics from Health and Welfare show that 80.4% 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), Blackfoot (1), Boise (26), Bonners Ferry (2), Burley (1), Caldwell (2), Chubbuck (2), Coeur d’Alene (11), Eagle (3), Emmett (1), Fruitland (1), Grangeville (1), Hayden (3), Idaho Falls (5), Jerome (1), Kellogg (1), Kootenai (1), Kuna (2), Lewiston (5), Malad (1), Meridian (13), Middleton (1), Montpelier (1), Moscow (1), Mountain Home (1), Nampa (7), Parma (1), Pinehurst (1), Pocatello (4), Post Falls (5), Rexburg (1), Rupert (1), Sandpoint (3), Silverton (1), St. Maries (1), Star (1), Twin Falls (6), Weiser (1), Winchester (1).
Weekly snapshot
Vaccine doses administered in Idaho: 1,714,608, according to Health and Welfare. Of those, 850,238 people have been fully vaccinated, which accounts for 56.3% of Idahoans age 12 and older.
Test positivity rate: Out of the 32,746 COVID-19 tests conducted for the week of Nov. 7 - Nov. 13, 7.2% came back positive.
For a full list of daily numbers on a county-by-county basis, visit our “What We Know” story.
