This article was originally published by Rachel Roberts in the Idaho Statesman.
As Idaho inches closer to having 500,000 residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the state posted its second-lowest weekday case count of 2021.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 177 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday. The only time this year that fewer cases were reported on a weekday was Feb. 15, when there were 115 new cases, according to data from IDHW.
Idaho’s seven-day moving average sits at 210.4 new cases per day, a decrease of about 87% from a peak of 1,653.3 in mid-December.
One new coronavirus-related death was added in Elmore County (15 total). According to updated demographics from Health and Welfare, the latest death in Elmore County was a man in his 60s.
Idaho has lost 2,046 residents to the virus, with a case fatality rate of about 1.09%.
Only five counties reported double-figure increases on Friday: Ada (67 new, 51,610 total), Bonneville (12 new, 14,807 total), Canyon (21 new, 26,441 total), Kootenai (15 new, 17,776 total) and Twin Falls (18 new, 9,440 total).
The other counties adding new cases were Bannock (7 new, 8,713 total), Bear Lake (1 new, 381 total), Benewah (1 new, 670 total), Bingham (4 new, 4,804 total), Bonner (3 new, 3,221 total), Boundary (1 new, 861 total), Caribou (1 new, 689 total), Cassia (2 new, 2,935 total), Elmore (4 new, 1,978 total), Fremont (1 new, 1,125 total), Gem (1 new, 1,752 total), Jefferson (1 new, 2,977 total), Latah (4 new, 3,100 total), Lincoln (1 new, 501 total), Madison (1 new, 7,149 total), Minidoka (1 new, 2,334 total), Nez Perce (3 new, 3,585 total), Payette (7 new, 2,536 total), Shoshone (2 new, 1,091 total) and Teton (1 new, 1,209 total).
Health and Welfare removed one case apiece from Blaine (2,363 total), Boise (354 total) and Idaho (1,193 total) counties.
Idaho has reported 187,656 confirmed and probable cases overall, with 107,255 recoveries.
LONG-TERM CARE UPDATE
Idaho’s statewide COVID-19 test positivity rate has stayed below the 5% benchmark for three consecutive weeks. Meanwhile, the state’s long-term care facilities have seen steady decreases in cases and deaths since vaccines became available in late December.
About 67% of Idaho residents age 65 or older are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, and care facility residents and their loved ones are finally being reunited.
There are currently no state regulations limiting visitation in long-term care facilities, but nursing homes must follow the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services visitation guidance. Visitation policies may vary, so those wanting to visit loved ones should consult with their individual facility for more information on policies.
There are no state or federal regulations requiring residents or staff at long-term care facilities to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Health and Welfare advises concerned residents or their families to ask their facility administration should they want to know more about the COVID-19 mitigation strategies in place.
A federal pharmacy partnership program brought vaccines to residents and staff at 237 of Idaho’s 420 long-term care facilities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10,247 long-term care residents and staff in Idaho were fully vaccinated through the program. An NPR.org report indicates about 40% of staff in the 237 facilities that participated in the federal program were vaccinated.
As of Friday, Health and Welfare reports there are 1,586 active coronavirus cases between 35 facilities, which is lower than the 2,282 cases at 45 facilities last week. There are 284 facilities with resolved outbreaks.
To date, 791 people from 177 long-term facilities in Idaho have died from COVID-19-related causes — two deaths more than were reported last week. That accounts for nearly 39% of the 2,046 deaths in the state.
Below is a list of long-term care facilities by city that have active cases of the coronavirus 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: Edgewood Spring Creek American Falls; Boise: Edgewood Spring Creek-Overland, Garden Plaza of Valley View-Valley View Nursing & Rehab, Garden Plaza of Valley View-The Bridge at Valley View, Arbor Village at Hillcrest, Edgewood Spring Creek Memory Care-Five Mile, Edgewood Plantation Place, Life Care of Treasure Valley, Avamere Transitional Care, Park Place Assisted Living, Grace Memory Care, St. Luke’s-Elks Sub Acute Rehab, Brooklyn House, Trinity Assisted Living;
Chubbuck: Brookdale Chubbuck; Eagle: Edgewood Spring Creek Eagle; Garden City: Emerson House at Riverpointe; Lewiston: Royal Plaza-Lewiston; McCall: McCall Rehab and Care Center; Meridian: Touchmark at Meadow Lake Village, Aspire-Elk Run, Tomorrow’s Hope-Sapphire, The Cottages-Meridian; Mountain Home: Country Living Retirement of Mountain Home, Ashley Manor-Mountain Home;
Nampa: Heron Place, Aspire-Sunset Oaks, Park Place Assisted Living; Pocatello: Gateway Transitional Care Center, Brookdale Pocatello, Elegant Residential Living; Sandpoint: Valley Vista Care-Sandpoint; Twin Falls: Heritage Assisted Living, Bridgeview Estates-Assisted Living, Bridgeview Estates-Skilled Nursing, Grace Assisted Living-Twin Falls; Weiser: Weiser Care of Cascadia.
DAILY DETAILS
Vaccine doses administered in Idaho: 1,057,549, according to Health and Welfare. Of those, 486,271 people have been fully vaccinated.
Overall hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 8,113 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19, 1,376 admissions to the ICU and 10,469 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 April 29, the health system was reporting 24 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 442 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 4%.
Saint Alphonsus Health System: As of April 29, the health system was reporting 34 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 408 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 9.1%.
Boise School District: Reported confirmed cases since April 27: Garfield Elementary (1), Maple Grove Elementary (2), Shadow Hills Elementary (1), West Jr. High (1).
West Ada School District: Reported confirmed cases for April 16-April 29: Centennial High (6), Eagle High (4), Meridian High (3), Rocky Mountain High (1), Heritage Middle (4), Lake Hazel Middle (1), Meridian Middle (1), Chaparral Elementary (1), Desert Sage Elementary (1), Eliza Hart Spalding STEM Academy (1), Galileo STEM Academy (1), Hillsdale Elementary (1), Paramount Elementary (1), Pepper Ridge Elementary (1), Prospect Elementary (2).
Total COVID-19 cases by county (confirmed + probable): Ada 51,610, Adams 336, Bannock 8713, Bear Lake 381, Benewah 670, Bingham 4,804, Blaine 2,363, Boise 354, Bonner 3,221, Bonneville 14,807, Boundary 861, Butte 209, Camas 71, Canyon 26,441, Caribou 689, Cassia 2,935, Clark 59, Clearwater 1,045, Custer 246, Elmore 1,978, Franklin 1,179, Fremont 1,125, Gem 1,752, Gooding 1,299, Idaho 1,193, Jefferson 2,977, Jerome 2,587, Kootenai 17,776, Latah 3,100, Lemhi 523, Lewis 391, Lincoln 501, Madison 7,149, Minidoka 2,334, Nez Perce 3,585, Oneida 356, Owyhee 1,058, Payette 2,536, Power 653, Shoshone 1,091, Teton 1,209, Twin Falls 9,440, Valley 835, Washington 1,214.
