This article was originally written by Nicole Blanchard for the Idaho Statesman.
Following a spike in COVID-19 cases that sent Idaho’s seven-day moving average of new cases climbing, the average has again fallen to fewer than 300 new cases per day and appears to be on the decline.
With Saturday’s 224 reported cases, the state seven-day moving average — the average number of new cases each day over the last week — fell to 286.9 per day. Since early January, the metric had been steadily falling as Idaho reported fewer and fewer cases, hitting 255 cases per day in early March. Just a few days later, though, a surge in cases in East Idaho saw the seven-day moving average climb to more than 300. For about a week, the seven-day moving average has again been slowly declining and could continue to head that way.
Forty percent of Saturday’s cases were from three East Idaho counties — Bonneville (55 new, 13,921 total), Jefferson (12 new, 2,775 total) and Madison (23 new, 6,806 total). Those numbers are declining after the surge earlier in the month saw the Idaho Falls (Bonneville County) and Rexburg (Madison County) metro areas named two of the worst hot spots in the country by the New York Times.
Idaho officials for the second day in a row reported no new COVID-19 deaths. To date, 1,954 Idahoans have died of COVID-19.
The following counties reported new cases on Saturday: Ada (64 new, 48,870 total), Bannock (12 new, 8,338 total), Bingham (3 new, 4,618 total), Blaine (7 new, 2,245 total), Bonneville (55 new, 13,921 total), Canyon (19 new, 25,467 total), Caribou (2 new, 648 total), Cassia (1 new, 2,894 total), Custer (3 new, 242 total), Elmore (2 new, 1,741 total), Franklin (5 new, 1,118 total), Fremont (2 new, 1,077 total), Jefferson (12 new, 2,775 total), Jerome (1 new, 2,533 total), Kootenai (3 new, 17,134 total), Madison (23 new, 6,806 total), Minidoka (2 new, 2,310 total), Oneida (1 new, 345 total), Payette (3 new, 2,443 total), Teton (3 new, 1,148 total) and Valley (2 new, 823 total).
Officials removed one case in Benewah County (645 total).
DAILY DETAILS
Vaccine doses administered in Idaho: 679,359, according to Health and Welfare. Of those, 266,687 people have been fully vaccinated.
Overall hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 7,524 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19, 1,288 admissions to the ICU and 9,974 health care workers infected. Hospital and health care numbers are based on cases with completed investigations into contacts, not the full number of positives.
St. Luke’s Health System: As of March 27, the health system was reporting 30 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 421 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 5%.
Saint Alphonsus Health System: As of March 27, the health system was reporting 21 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 346 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 9.1%.
Boise School District: Reported confirmed cases since March 16: Borah High (2), North Jr. High (2), Owyhee Elementary (1), Valley View Elementary (1), Whittier Elementary (1).
West Ada School District: Reported confirmed cases for March 14-27: Eagle High (2), Rocky Mountain High (1), Eagle Middle (1), Lake Hazel Middle (1), Meridian Middle (1), Star Middle (1), Victory Middle (1), Eagle Hills Elementary (1), Hillsdale Elementary (2), Ponderosa Elementary (2), Siena Elementary (4).
Total COVID-19 cases by county (confirmed + probable): Ada 48,870, Adams 333, Bannock 8,338, Bear Lake 367, Benewah 645, Bingham 4,618, Blaine 2,245, Boise 320, Bonner 3,084, Bonneville 13,921, Boundary 842, Butte 202, Camas 71, Canyon 25,467, Caribou 648, Cassia 2,894, Clark 56, Clearwater 1,027, Custer 242, Elmore 1,741, Franklin 1,118, Fremont 1,077, Gem 1,728, Gooding 1,279, Idaho 1,172, Jefferson 2,775, Jerome 2,533, Kootenai 17,134, Latah 2,901, Lemhi 516, Lewis 384, Lincoln 493, Madison 6,806, Minidoka 2,310, Nez Perce 3,475, Oneida 345, Owyhee 1,036, Payette 2,443, Power 645, Shoshone 1,044, Teton 1,148, Twin Falls 9,116, Valley 823, Washington 1,196.
