Idaho’s COVID-19 test positivity rate falls to lowest level since last July
The week of Feb. 27, Idaho’s statewide positivity rate dropped to the lowest level seen since last July and the seventh-lowest rate of any week since the pandemic began, according to updated data posted Thursday.
The positivity rate measures the portion of test results that come back positive, and health officials aim for a rate below 5% to indicate spread of a respiratory pandemic is under control.
The week of Feb. 27, the rate was just 3.7%, according to new data from the Department of Health and Welfare. The week beginning June 27, 2021, it was 3.4%. Since then, the rate climbed to 17.3% during the peak of the delta wave late last summer, and to a record 37.9% as recently as the week of Jan. 16, when the omicron wave was battering Idaho.
Since that peak seven weeks ago, the positivity rate has fallen sharply. Positivity rate data from the state is delayed a week.
The rapid declines in the positivity rate have been accompanied by a sharp drop in case numbers, which has also occurred in much of the U.S. in recent weeks.
The status of the pandemic has led to shifts in federal recommendations on masking and changes to existing requirements in the Treasure Valley. On Friday, Boise dropped its indoor mask mandate at city facilities. The Boise School District dropped its mask requirement as well, and Gov. Brad Little announced that the state’s public health emergency declaration, which has been in place since March 2020, will end in April.
Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that most people do not need to wear masks indoors in Idaho, except in Clearwater County, according to data posted Thursday.
Ada and Elmore counties are at “medium” COVID-19 risk levels, according to the CDC data, when people at high risk of severe illness are advised to consult a health care provider about masking. Canyon County is at “low” risk levels.
The CDC still recommends that all eligible Americans stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations and get tested if they have symptoms. The public health agency says that people can choose to wear masks if they want, and that people with symptoms, a positive test or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should still wear a mask.
Some public health experts in the Treasure Valley are skeptical of the new CDC guidelines, which allow for much higher levels of transmission before recommending the general public wear masks.
The new recommendations do not apply to health care settings, where masks are still recommended or required in most places to reduce infections of patients and providers.
Ada and Canyon counties are still experiencing what’s called “high” community transmission of the virus, despite the recent decline, according to the CDC.
This story was originally published March 10, 2022 at 6:29 PM.
