This article was originally published by Ruth Brown and Jacob Scholl in the Idaho Statesman.
Idaho reported 463 new confirmed cases of coronavirus on Monday, with 113 new probable cases, and added 16 new deaths — and three counties continued to represent the bulk of the additions.
COVID-19 hospitalizations have continued to dip in the state, and on Saturday there were 169 coronavirus patients hospitalized, the lowest number since October, according to Health and Welfare.
Ada County reported 103 new confirmed cases Monday, bringing the countywide total 37,326, according to Health and Welfare. The county also reported four new deaths in COVID-19-related causes.
Canyon County reported 60 new cases Monday, bringing its total of confirmed infections to 19,902, according to Southwest District Health.
Kootenai County reported 132 new cases, bringing the countywide total to 13,720, according to the Panhandle Health District.
Idaho reported 16 new deaths because of COVID-19-related causes Monday, bringing the statewide death toll to 1,687. The newly reported deaths included the four in Ada County, three in Kootenai County, two in Canyon County, two in Bannock County and one apiece in Bonneville, Jefferson, Clearwater, Washington and Bingham counties.
Health and Welfare estimated that 77,351 people have recovered from the virus. The department also reports a total of 29,514 probable cases.
Since the pandemic reached Idaho, 130,637 cases have been confirmed.
Other counties to confirm new coronavirus cases Monday include: Nez Perce (17 new, 2,971 total), Latah (16 new, 2,320 total), Idaho (3 new, 865 total), Clearwater (16 new, 737 total), Lewis (1 new, 270 total), Bannock (9 new, 4,324 total), Butte (1 new, 148 total), Caribou (1 new, 324 total), Franklin (3 new, 797 total), Bear Lake (1 new, 231 total), Bingham (8 new, 2,450 total), Gem (7 new, 1,263 total), Payette (3 new, 1,829 total), Washington (2 new, 829 total), Boise (1 new, 217 total), Elmore (1 new, 1,154 total), Valley (13 new, 557 total), Shoshone (12 new, 901 total), Benewah (2 new, 410 total), Bonner (21 new, 2,103 total), Boundary (2 new, 243 total), Bonneville (3 new, 8,313 total), Lemhi (-1 Lemhi, 395 total), Jefferson (1 new, 1,663 total), Madison (3 new, 5,053 total), Teton (7 new, 566 total), Blaine (-4 new,1,697 total), Cassia (1 new, 2,368 total), Jerome (4 new, 1,893 total), Lincoln (4 new, 361 total), Minidoka (3 new, 1,856 total), Twin Falls (7 new, 6,775 total).
CHAIR CHOSEN FOR IDAHO LEGISLATURE CORONAVIRUS LIABILITY SUBCOMMITTEE
Rep. Julianne Young, R-Blackfoot, was chosen to chair the new Coronavirus Liability Subcommittee.
Young — who was selected by House Judiciary, Rules, and Administration Committee Chairman Rep. Greg Chaney, R-Caldwell — sponsored a bill passed during the August special session that granted immunity to liability for companies, school districts and other entities.
“Rep. Young demonstrated strong leadership in the area of coronavirus liability over the summer,” Chaney said in a statement. “I have great confidence that she is the ideal person to lead further inquiry into and deliberation on this very complex subject.”
The new COVID-19 subcommittee includes the following members of the Idaho House of Representatives:
- Rep. Julianne Young, Chairman
- Rep. James Ruchti
- Rep. John Gannon
- Rep. Bruce Skaug
- Rep. David Cannon
- Rep. Ron Nate
- Rep. Gary Marshall
- Rep. Caroline Nilsson Troy
DAILY DETAILS
Vaccine doses administered in Idaho: 93,582, according to Health and Welfare. Of those, 64,157 people have received only their first dose.
Overall hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 6,525 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19, 1,135 admissions to the ICU and 8,534 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 Jan. 24, the health system was reporting 38 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 387 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 10%.
Saint Alphonsus Health System: As of Jan. 24, the health system was reporting 52 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 345 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 17.5%.
Testing totals: At the end of the day Monday, Health and Welfare reported that 592,647 people had been tested statewide. About 22% of those have been positive for COVID-19.
Boise School District: Reported cases since Jan. 19: Borah High (3), East Junior High (2), Garfield Elementary (1), Hawthorne (1), Hillside Junior High (1), Monroe Elementary (1), Pierce Park Elementary (1), Riverside Elementary (1), South Junior High (3), West Junior High (1), Whittier Elementary (1).
West Ada School District: Reported cases from Jan. 11-24: Centennial High (5), Eagle Academy (1), Eagle High (4), Idaho Fine Arts (1), Mountain View High (7), Rebound School of Opportunity (1), Rocky Mountain High (2), Crossroads Middle (1), Heritage Middle (1), Lewis and Clark Middle (2), Meridian Middle (1), Star Middle (1), Victory Middle (1), Chaparral Elementary (1), Frontier Elementary (3), Hillsdale Elementary (2), Hunter Elementary (2), Paramount Elementary (1), Pleasant View Elementary (1), Seven Oaks Elementary (1), Siena Elementary (1), Summerwind STEM (2).
Counties with confirmed COVID-19 cases: Ada 37,326, Adams 237, Bannock 4,321, Bear Lake 231, Benewah 410, Bingham 2,450, Blaine 1,697, Boise 217, Bonner 2,103, Bonneville 8,313, Boundary 343, Butte 148, Camas 48, Canyon 19,902, Caribou 324, Cassia 2,368, Clark 44, Clearwater 737, Custer 174, Elmore 1,154, Franklin 797, Fremont 832, Gem 1,263, Gooding 887, Idaho 865, Jefferson 1,663, Jerome 1,893, Kootenai 13,720, Latah 2,320, Lemhi 395, Lewis 270, Lincoln 361, Madison 5,053, Minidoka 1,856, Nez Perce 2,962, Oneida 203, Owyhee 845, Payette 1,829, Power 436, Shoshone 901, Teton 566, Twin Falls 6,775, Valley 557, Washington 829.
