Health officials stress the number of COVID-positive patients continues to exceed hospital resources around the state.
Idaho remains in Crisis Standards of Care statewide and as of Saturday, 252 patients were in the ICU in Idaho according to the Department of Health and Welfare
Currently, there are over 700 patients in the hospital across the state, which is a record since the start of the pandemic in Idaho. Each day — the state is averaging around 30 new deaths among Idahoans with a total number of over 2,000.
“We expect these numbers to continue to increase. We do not see where this is going to turn around just yet,” DHW Director Dave Jeppesen said.
The Department of Health and Welfare says 20% of all new cases reported are among children and the number of infections among children has recently skyrocketed. Just last week nearly 1,700 cases were reported among children.
Dr. Kathryn Turner gives an update on projections for the COVID-19 peak in Idaho:
— Audrey Dutton (@audreydutton) September 28, 2021
"New model estimates are: hospitalizations could peak at 1,900 hospitalizations in a single week in late November
Deaths could peak at 305 in one week in late November"
The weekly number of cases identified among Idahoans less than 18 years of age has doubled since mid-august and the result is an increase in pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations.
"I worry every single day about the potential of seeing a child death notice because perhaps they were too young to get a vaccine or had underlying health conditions,” Administrator of Public Health Elke Shaw-Tulloch said. “I worry every single day that we have not done enough as a society to protect our loved ones and that we have let a narrative prevail that does not support vaccines and public health mitigation measures."
To see the state's COVID-19 data and vaccine information, click here.
