This article was originally published by Ruth Brown in the Idaho Statesman.
Tuesday marked a record-high number of newly confirmed coronavirus cases in Idaho, with 714 new cases in one day.
The state also broke records for new total cases, which includes probables, with 798, and for seven-day case average at 627.7.
The previous record for total cases was 777 on Friday. Before that, Idaho hadn’t hit the 700 mark.
Some county numbers were high in part because two health districts — Panhandle and Southeastern — did not update caseloads Monday due to the federal holiday.
Ada County reported 52, bringing the countywide total to 13,112, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
Madison County, home to Brigham Young University-Idaho, is still a hotspot, as Eastern Idaho Public Health recorded 80 new confirmed cases Tuesday, bringing the countywide total to 1,445 infections. That’s 759 cases in the past two weeks.
Canyon County reported 42 new confirmed cases.
Idaho has reported 44,611 confirmed COVID-19 cases during the pandemic.
The state also recorded three new deaths related to COVID-19 — one each in Ada, Twin Falls and Bingham counties. That brings the statewide COVID-19 death toll to 514 people.
Health and Welfare on Monday also reported 5,087 “probable” cases (84 new) of the coronavirus and estimated that 24,699 people in Idaho had recovered.
Other counties that reported new confirmed cases of the virus include: Latah 43 (727 total), Nez Perce 25 (514 total), Idaho 16 (249 total), Clearwater 11 (95 total), Lewis 2 (51 total), Bannock 68 (1,380 total), Bingham 52 (1,102 total), Bear Lake 2 (55 total), Butte 2 (63 total), Caribou 15 (151 total), Franklin 18 (223 total), Oneida 4 (34 total), Power 7 (285 total), Gem 2 (316 total), Owyhee 2 (326 total), Payette 13 (886 total), Washington 4 (375 total), Boise 1 (59 total), Elmore 4 (320 total), Kootenai 60 (3,042 total), Bonner 5 (366 total), Bonneville 50 (2,837 total), Fremont 8 (277 total), Jefferson 15 (642 total), Lemhi 4 (118 total), Teton 6 (216 total), Twin Falls 44 (2,675 total), Minidoka 10 (835 total), Lincoln 6 (96 total), Jerome 3 (786 total), Gooding 6 (325 total), Cassia 26 (903 total), Blaine 6 (736 total)
DAILY DETAILS
Overall hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 2,086 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19, 487 admissions to the ICU and 3,233 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 Oct. 12, the health system was reporting 61 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 507 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 11%.
Saint Alphonsus Health System: As of Oct. 12, the health system was reporting 31 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 349 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 11.6%.
Boise School District: The district says the following schools or units have reported confirmed COVID-19 cases among students or staff since Oct. 6: Amity Elementary (1), Boise Online School (1), Cynthia Mann Elementary (1), Frank Church High School (2), Hidden Springs Elementary (1), Hawthorne Elementary (1), Koelsch Elementary (1), North Junior High (1), Whitney Elementary (1), District Services Center (2), Roosevelt Elementary (1), Riverside Elementary (1), Valley View Elementary (1), White Pine Elementary (1), Whitney Elementary (1).
Testing totals: At the end of the day Monday, Health and Welfare reported that 340,776 people had been tested statewide. About 13.09% of those have been positive for COVID-19.
Counties with community spread: All counties except Adams have been announced to have community spread.
Counties with confirmed COVID-19 cases: Ada 13,112, Adams 27, Bannock 1,380, Bear Lake 55, Benewah 159, Bingham 1,102, Blaine 736, Boise 59, Bonner 366, Bonneville 2,837, Boundary 51, Butte 63, Camas 31, Canyon 8,303, Caribou 151, Cassia 903, Clark 33, Clearwater 95, Custer 70, Elmore 320, Franklin 223, Fremont 277, Gem 316, Gooding 325, Idaho 249, Jefferson 642, Jerome 786, Kootenai 3,042, Latah 727, Lemhi 118, Lewis 51, Lincoln 96, Madison 1,445, Minidoka 835, Nez Perce 514, Oneida 34, Owyhee 326, Payette 886, Power 285, Shoshone 218, Teton 216, Twin Falls 2,675, Valley 97, Washington 375.
