Over the last two days, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has reported a notable jump in the number of health care workers infected with the coronavirus.
The number of health care workers currently being monitored with COVID-19 is unknown, but IDHW lists a total of 341 workers who have contracted the virus as of Saturday. That’s an increase of 23 workers since Thursday.
One of the criteria necessary to move to Stage 4 of Gov. Brad Little’s plan to reopen Idaho requires a “downward trend over most recent reported 14-day period, OR less than two health care workers reported/day on average over same 14-day period.”
Health and Welfare is using the date of illness onset to determine this metric, information that isn’t publicly available. While the Idaho Statesman is unable to calculate this metric, the recent spike in health care worker cases isn’t a positive sign. During the current 14-day window (May 27-June 9), IDHW has reported 41 new confirmed cases of coronavirus among health care workers, an average of 3.7 per day.
Little is scheduled to address Idaho’s potential move to Stage 4 on June 11. The press conference will be broadcast on Idaho Public Television beginning at 10 a.m.
Using information posted on the IDHW and Southeastern Idaho Public Health websites, there were 19 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus added among 10 counties on Saturday. Additional cases were reported in Ada (4 new, 778 total), Bannock (2 new, 43 total), Bingham (2 new, 22 total), Bonner (1 new, 6 total), Canyon (2 new, 310 total), Cassia (3 new, 98 total), Franklin (1 new, 8 total), Kootenai (2 new, 80 total), Minidoka (1 new, 66 total) and Twin Falls (1 new, 370 total) counties.
There are 299 “probable cases” throughout the state, an increase of nine from Friday. Health and Welfare reports that 2,461 cases are “presumed recovered.”
DAILY DETAILS
Hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 260 hospitalizations due to the coronavirus, 99 admissions to the ICU and 341 health care workers who have been infected. The hospital and health care numbers are based on cases with completed investigations into contacts, not the full number of positives.
Testing totals: At the end of the day Saturday, Health and Welfare reported that 55,742 tests had been completed statewide. About 5.1% of those have been positive for COVID-19.
Counties with confirmed COVID-19 cases: Ada 778, Adams 3, Bannock 43, Benewah 6, Bingham 22, Blaine 503, Bonner 6, Bonneville 41, Camas 1, Canyon 310, Caribou 3, Cassia 98, Custer 2, Elmore 31, Franklin 8, Fremont 3, Gem 13, Gooding 46, Idaho 3, Jefferson 7, Jerome 167, Kootenai 82, Latah 6, Lemhi 1, Lincoln 31, Madison 17, Minidoka 66, Nez Perce 74, Owyhee 8, Payette 22, Power 6, Teton 10, Twin Falls 370, Valley 2 and Washington 42.
Counties with community spread: Ada, Bannock, Benewah, Bingham, Blaine, Bonner, Bonneville, Canyon, Cassia, Elmore, Gem, Gooding, Jefferson, Jerome, Kootenai, Lemhi, Madison, Minidoka, Owyhee, Payette, Power, Teton and Twin Falls.
