This article was originally published by Rachel Roberts in the Idaho Statesman.
Idaho’s seven-day moving average of new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 has reached an unprecedented level.
That average has been at 700 or more cases for three consecutive days, including a record 781.9 as of Wednesday. Idaho’s seven-day average has increased 62.5% since Oct. 1 (481.3 cases per day).
After reporting a single-day high of 940 new confirmed and probable cases on Tuesday, the state’s seven health districts combined for the second-highest total Wednesday with 905 cases — 622 confirmed and 283 probable.
Eleven deaths were announced between nine counties, increasing the state’s coronavirus-related death toll to 552, with a case fatality rate of about 0.99%. The latest deaths were in Ada (2 new, 159 total), Bingham (1 new, 17 total), Canyon (1 new, 108 total), Gem (1 new, 5 total), Idaho (first death), Kootenai (2 new, 48 total), Lewis (1 new, 3 total), Teton (1 new, 2 total) and Washington (1 new, 8 total) counties.
The Teton County death was a male in his 70s, according to Eastern Idaho Public Health. No demographic information was available for any of the other deaths. Thirty-six of Idaho’s 44 counties have lost at least one resident to the virus.
Twin Falls County, which is dealing with an influx of COVID-19 patients in its hospitals, reported a state-leading 97 new confirmed cases (3,132 total) on Wednesday. Canyon (92 new, 8,800 total), Kootenai (70 new, 3,446 total), Ada (63 new, 13,793 total), Madison (43 new, 1,930 total) and Bonneville (35 new, 3,271 total) counties also saw significant increases.
The other counties reporting new confirmed cases were Bannock (20 new, 1,548 total), Bear Lake (1 new, 62 total), Bingham (13 new, 1,192 total), Blaine (9 new, 801 total), Bonner (7 new, 406 total), Boundary (2 new, 62 total), Butte (1 new, 75 total), Caribou (8 new, 184 total), Cassia (15 new, 1,112 total), Clearwater (1 new, 110 total), Elmore (13 new, 353 total), Franklin (7 new, 268 total), Fremont (12 new, 351 total), Gem (4 new, 347 total), Gooding (13 new, 398 total), Idaho (12 new, 302 total), Jefferson (2 new, 726 total), Jerome (19 new, 880 total), Latah (14 new, 821 total), Lemhi (2 new, 168 total), Lewis (1 new, 70 total), Lincoln (4 new, 118 total), Minidoka (7 new, 1,010 total), Nez Perce (9 new, 635 total), Oneida (2 new, 38 total), Owyhee (6 new, 343 total), Payette (8 new, 948 total), Power (2 new, 298 total), Shoshone (4 new, 237 total), Teton (1 new, 244 total), Valley (2 new, 102 total) and Washington (1 new, 393 total).
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has reported a total of 6,422 probable and 49,377 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic. Health and Welfare estimates that 26,916 have recovered from the virus.
Overall hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 2,327 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19, 514 admissions to the ICU and 3,525 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. 20, the health system was reporting 69 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 492 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 12%.
Saint Alphonsus Health System: As of Oct. 20, the health system was reporting 49 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 344 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 13.7%.
Boise School District: The district says the following schools or units have reported confirmed COVID-19 cases among students or staff since Oct. 20: Amity Elementary (1), Boise Online School (1), Roosevelt Elementary (1).
Testing totals: At the end of the day Wednesday, Health and Welfare reported that 360,185 people had been tested statewide. About 13.7% 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 13,793, Adams 30, Bannock 1,548, Bear Lake 62, Benewah 164, Bingham 1,192, Blaine 801, Boise 60, Bonner 406, Bonneville 3,271, Boundary 62, Butte 75, Camas 33, Canyon 8,800, Caribou 184, Cassia 1,112, Clark 33, Clearwater 110, Custer 83, Elmore 353, Franklin 268, Fremont 351, Gem 347, Gooding 398, Idaho 302, Jefferson 726, Jerome 880, Kootenai 3,446, Latah 821, Lemhi 168, Lewis 70, Lincoln 118, Madison 1,930, Minidoka 1,010, Nez Perce 635, Oneida 38, Owyhee 343, Payette 948, Power 298, Shoshone 237, Teton 244, Twin Falls 3,132, Valley 102, Washington 393.
