Boise State Public Radio is here to keep you current on the news surrounding COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. This blog contains information from June 14-20 on closures, openings, cancellations & news regarding the coronavirus in Idaho.
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119 New Cases Confirmed Saturday; 68 are in Ada County
June 20 - 5:18 p.m.
State Health officials posted 119 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 Saturday, the majority of which were confirmed in Ada County. Canyon County's count increased Saturday to 392, with 22 new cases. The rolling seven-day average of new, confirmed daily cases in Idaho is more than 74 per day: four times higher than its lowest point May 11. Nine more healthcare workers were confirmed to have contracted the virus Saturday, now 406 total since March.
The state did not report any additional fatalities. Since March, there have been 3,585 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Idaho, and an additional 421 probable cases.
112 Additional COVID-19 Cases Added Friday, Over Half Of Cases In Those 29 And Younger
June 19 - 5:24 p.m.
State officials reported 112 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed by lab tests Friday. This brings the statewide total of confirmed cases to 3,466. There are an additional 405 probable cases statewide.
56 of those new cases are in those 29 and younger. There have been clusters of cases at multiple bars in downtown Boise. On Thursday, Central District Health said an illness cluster that occurred at the downtown bars on June 5 and 6 has expanded to 69 cases so far. Some downtown bar owners are now asking for patrons to wear masks.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reports no new virus-related fatalities.
Gov. Brad Little To Hand Off Idaho Coronavirus Response After Months Of Political Pressure
June 19 - 7:00 a.m.
When he launched Idaho’s phased reopening plan in April, Gov. Brad Little said if cases of coronavirus in Idaho spiked, the entire state could move back through these four different stages. That no longer appears to be the case.
On a call with lawmakers earlier this week, Little was asked about his strategy to handle a resurgence in cases – most recently seen in Ada County.
According to multiple legislators on the call, the governor said decisions on future restrictions would likely take a more regional approach.
Idaho Adds 96 New Confirmed COVID-19 Cases, One More Death
June 18 - 5:04 p.m.
Idaho added 96 more lab-confirmed cases to the state total on Thursday for a total of 3,354 cases statewide, with an additional 389 probable cases. That's the largest singe-day increase in cases since the beginning of April. Fifteen probable cases were added between Wednesday and Thursday, too.
For the second day in a row, 10 additional healthcare workers were added to the state’s confirmed cases on Thursday. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare cited healthcare workers testing positive as one of the most concerning trends it's tracking.
Kootenai County saw its first COVID-19 death listed on Thursday, for a total of 89 statewide. New cases were concentrated in Ada County with 49 new confirmed cases there.
$2.5 Billion In PPP Funds Reach Idaho, One-Fifth For Underserved Businesses
June 18 - 1:45 p.m.
According to data from the small business administration, more than $2.5 billion in funding from the paycheck protection program has reached more than 29,000 Idaho businesses. About one-fifth of that has reached the smallest businesses in under-served communities through loans made by Community Development Financial Institutions, better known as CDFIs.
Idaho Back To Work Bonus Program Kickstarts In July
June 18 - 7:05 a.m.
After fewer businesses than expected applied for help from the state to weather the recent coronavirus shutdown, Idaho is using up to $100 million of that money to push people to go back to work.
Gov. Brad Little’s (R) back-to-work bonuses will net full time workers $1,500 or part time workers $750, if eligible. Both would be taxable income.
Idaho Reports Another Jump In COVID-19 Cases
June 17 - 5:11 p.m.
Idaho reported 61 more lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 Wednesday with 31 more probable cases for a one-day total of 92. The state has now had 3,258 confirmed cases and another 374 probable cases.
The trend has been going in the wrong direction recently, including a cluster traced to a number of Downtown Boise bars. Another worrying sign: 10 of the new cases were among health care workers. Health officials say they have been alarmed at the continuing rate of infection among health care workers.
No new COVID-19 deaths were reported Wednesday, leaving the statewide total at 88.
1 In 4 People Tested In A Blaine County Study Had Antibodies To COVID-19
June 17 - 7:00 a.m.
Blaine County tested a sample of residents for COVID-19 antibodies in April as part of a study, and some of the initial results are in.
Of the nearly 1,000 Blaine County residents tested, 23% had COVID-19 antibodies. In Ketchum, it was 35%, one of the highest prevalence rates of which the researchers are aware.
Idaho Reports Largest Surge In Coronavirus Cases Since April
June 16 - 5:17 p.m.
Tuesday marked Idaho’s largest single-day spike in newly confirmed coronavirus cases in more than two months.
State officials reported 76 new cases — 29 of which are in Ada County. The last time Idaho saw such a surge was April 9 when it recorded 121 cases. The state has seen 3,197 confirmed cases since March 13.
No new deaths were reported Tuesday, with the total staying at 88.
The spike in Ada County comes as Central District Health reports a cluster of cases has grown after several individuals visited six downtown bars on June 5 and 6 while infectious. 34 cases have been confirmed from those exposures so far.
“While most individuals have been in their 20s and 30s, there have also been some associated cases among household contacts of those originally infected,” Central District Health said in a news release.
Officials say another four individuals who were unknowingly infectious visited the following establishments in Ada County:
-Matador, downtown Boise on 6/7/20
-Vista Bar, Boise on 6/9/20
-9th Street Nook, Boise on 6/10/20
-The Breakaway Cafe & Spirits, Meridian on 6/13/20
Western Idaho Fair Cancelled
June 16 - 10:25 a.m.
Organizers have cancelled the Western Idaho Fair while Idaho continues to grapple with the coronavirus.
In an email to exhibiters, officials said after months of work, they “couldn’t find an option that adequately addressed social distancing while maintaining the Fair experience and fiscal viability.”
Kids in 4-H and Future Farmers of America will be allowed to complete their projects in August at Expo Idaho.
Rules will also be changed during next year’s fair to allow for some exhibits that were completed in 2020 to be shown as well.
60 Additional Confirmed COVID-19 Cases Added Monday
June 15 - 5:19 p.m.
After entering the final stage of reopening Saturday, state health officials today reported an additional 60 lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases —12 attributed to Sunday and 48 to Monday. This brings the statewide total to 3,121. An additional death was also reported, bringing the total of COVID-19 fatalities to 88.
Since Friday, five cases have been hospitalized —two of which were admitted to the ICU.
Obsession Or Just Good Hygiene? Keeping The Coronavirus And OCD At Bay
June 15 - 8:45 a.m.
When I was 8 years old, just about all I could think of was how I was going to die that day.
No, I didn't grow up in the middle of a war zone, though many others on the other side of the world were living through that kind of nightmare in 1996.
I was born and raised in a safe, small town in Idaho where murder was a rarity. It wouldn't be a gun, a child predator, or a car accident that killed me, I figured.
Instead, because I had a significant form of anxiety that neither I nor my parents recognized at the time — obsessive compulsive disorder — I was convinced that some kind of microscopic creature would be absorbed through my hands and infect every living cell in my body. Maybe it would be bacteria, I thought, or parasites. Or a virus.
Idaho Is In Last Stage Of Reopening, Despite Clusters Of COVID-19 Cases
June 15 - 7:05 a.m.
Idaho is in the last stage of its reopening plan, but COVID-19 hasn’t gone away. During stage three, which ended over the weekend, Idaho saw a series of outbreaks around the state.
News & Updates:
- The Idaho Official Resources for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Updates
- World Health Organization Coronavirus Updates
- NPR Coronavirus Coverage
Resources:
