This article was originally published by Ruth Brown in the Idaho Statesman.
As some Idahoans still deny the danger of the coronavirus, the state broke a grim record Tuesday by marking its deadliest day since the pandemic began — reporting 31 new COVID-19-related deaths in one day.
The previous record, which Idaho reached twice, was 18 deaths in one day. Among the latest deaths was another person between the ages of 18 and 29, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Idaho has now lost two people in that age range due to COVID-19-related causes and five people in their 30s.
The state reported 1,264 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 375 new probable cases, for a total of 1,639 new cases reported Tuesday. That is the largest number of new cases the state has reported in a day since the coronavirus reached Idaho.
With Tuesday’s 31 additional deaths, Idaho’s statewide death toll now sits at 803 people. On Tuesday, Twin Falls County added five more deaths, Bonneville County added five, Ada County added six and Bannock County added three. Caribou, Bingham, Canyon, Lemhi, Elmore, Kootenai, Shoshone, Cassia, Jerome, Power, Lincoln and Minidoka counties saw one death in each county due to COVID-19-related causes.
Ada County reported 278 new confirmed cases on Tuesday, according to Heath and Welfare, bringing the countywide total to 19,121 people infected.
Canyon County reported 122 new confirmed cases, bringing the countywide total to 11,686 people infected, according to Southwest District Health.
Kootenai County reported 179 new confirmed cases, according to Health and Welfare. That brings the countywide total to 5,616 people infected.
Both major hospital systems that serve the Boise area reported near record-high rates for coronavirus-positive patients. St. Luke’s Health System on Monday had 128 of its 521 patients report positive for the coronavirus. Saint Alphonsus Health System reported that on Monday 72 of its 297 patients were COVID-19 positive.
Health and Welfare reports 12,360 probable cases statewide, as of Tuesday, and estimated that 35,948 people have recovered from the virus. Since the pandemic reached Idaho, 72,842 cases have been confirmed.
Other counties that reported new confirmed cases of the virus Tuesday include: Nez Perce 98 (1,712 total), Latah 29 (1,378 total), Idaho 19 (530 total), Clearwater 12 (292 total), Lewis 5 (143 total), Bannock 24 (2,309 total), Bear Lake 9 (128 total), Bingham 27 (1,584 total), Caribou 1 (255 total), Franklin 19 (428 total), Oneida 12 (93 total), Power 2 (348 total), Gem 16 (541 total), Owyhee 9 (461 total), Payette 6 (1,179 total), Washington 6 (527 total), Bonneville 88 (4,903 total), Fremont 3 (582 total), Jefferson 16 (1,042 total), Lemhi 2 (358 total), Madison 61 (3,116 total), Teton 3 (372 total), Bonner 35 (697 total), Boundary 3 (131 total), Benewah 6 (223 total), Shoshone 31 (411 total), Blaine 20 (1,045 total), Cassia 22 (1,747 total), Gooding 5 (622 total), Jerome 15 (1,406 total), Lincoln 8 (263 total), Minidoka 17 (1,422 total), Twin Falls 51 (5,020 total) and Elmore 5 (538 total).
DAILY DETAILS
Overall hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 3,254 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19, 632 admissions to the ICU and 4,600 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 Nov. 16, the health system was reporting 128 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 521 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 22%.
Saint Alphonsus Health System: As of Nov. 16, the health system was reporting 72 patients in its hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 out of 297 patients overall. The health system reported a 14-day coronavirus test positivity rate of 24.6%.
Boise School District: The district says the following schools or units have reported confirmed COVID-19 cases among students or staff since Nov. 3: Adams Elementary (3), Amity Elementary (4), Boise High (26), Borah High, (19) Capital High (8), Collister Elementary (1), Cynthia Mann Elementary (1), District Services Center (9), East Junior High (5), Fairmont Junior High (4), Frank Church High (5), Grace Jordan Elementary (4), Hawthorne Elementary (4), Highlands Elementary (3), Hillcrest Elementary (1), Hillside Junior High (5), Horizon Elementary (4), Jefferson Elementary (2), Liberty Elementary (3), Longfellow Elementary (2), Lowell Elementary (2), Madison Early Childhood Education Center (1), Maple Grove Elementary (1), Monroe Elementary (1), Morley Nelson Elementary (1), North Junior High (11), Owyhee Elementary (1), Riverglen Junior High (9), Riverside Elementary (5), Shadow Hills Elementary (1), South Junior High (4), Taft Elementary (1), Timberline High (17), Trail Wind Elementary (1), Valley View Elementary (1), Washington Elementary (1) West Junior High (4), White Pine Elementary (3), Whitney Elementary (1), Whittier Elementary (15).
West Ada School District: The district says the following schools or units have reported confirmed COVID-19 cases among students or staff for the weeks of Nov. 1 through Nov. 14: Centennial High (7), Central Academy (2), Eagle Academy (4) Eagle High (30) Idaho Fine Arts (1), Meridian Academy (2), Meridian High (14), Mountain View High (29), Renaissance High (4), Rocky Mountain High (17), Crossroads Middle (1), Eagle Middle (4), Heritage Middle (3), Lake Hazel Middle (3), Lewis and Clark Middle (3), Lowell Scott Middle (3), Meridian Middle (1), Pathways Middle (1), Sawtooth Middle (2), Star Middle (9), Victory Middle (3), Barbara Morgan STEM (2), Cecil D. Andrus Elementary (1), Chaparral Elementary (1), Chief Joseph School of the Arts (2), Christine Donnell (3), Desert Sage Elementary (6), Discovery Elementary (1), Eagle Elementary School of the Arts (3), Frontier Elementary (2), Hillsdale Elementary (6), Hunter Elementary (4), Joplin Elementary (1), Lake Hazel Elementary (3), Mary McPherson (1), McMillan Elementary (2), Meridian Elementary (3), Pepper Ridge (1), Peregrine Elementary (2), Pleasant View Elementary (1), Ponderosa Elementary (1), Prospect Elementary (1), River Valley Elementary (2), Seven Oaks Elementary (2), Star Elementary (2), Ustick Elementary (1).
Testing totals: At the end of the day Monday, Health and Welfare reported that 436,033 people had been tested statewide. About 16.7% 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 19,121, Adams 72, Bannock 2,309, Bear Lake 128, Benewah 223, Bingham 1,584, Blaine 1,045, Boise 88, Bonner 697, Bonneville 4,903, Boundary 131, Butte 98, Camas 39, Canyon 11,686, Caribou 255, Cassia 1,747, Clark 39, Clearwater 292, Custer 111, Elmore 538, Franklin 428, Fremont 582, Gem 541, Gooding 622, Idaho 530, Jefferson 1,042, Jerome 1,406, Kootenai 5,616, Latah 1,378, Lemhi 358, Lewis 143, Lincoln 263, Madison 3,116, Minidoka 1,422, Nez Perce 1,712, Oneida 93, Owyhee 461, Payette 1,179, Power 348, Shoshone 411, Teton 372, Twin Falls 5,020, Valley 166, Washington 527.
