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 September 6-12 on closures, openings, cancellations & news regarding the coronavirus in Idaho.
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Idaho Records 285 Confirmed COVID-19 Cases, 55 New Cases In Bonneville County
September 11 - 5:30 p.m.
State health officials reported 285 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed by lab tests Friday. The statewide total of confirmed cases is now 32,228 . There are an additional 2,722 probable cases statewide.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported five new deaths Friday, bringing the statewide total to 412. One fatality occurred in Ada County, one in Canyon County, one in Kootenai County, one in Madison County, and One in Minidoka County.
Bonneville County has surpassed Canyon County in new cases this week, reporting 55 confirmed infections Friday. That brings Bonneville County’s totally confirmed cases to 1,744.
Idaho Adds 255 Coronavirus Cases, One More Death On Thursday
September 10 - 5:15 p.m.
Idaho recorded 255 additional lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases on Thursday, and one more COVID-19-related death in Nez Perce County. There are now 31,943 confirmed cases and 407 COVID-19-related deaths in the state.
Idaho's 7-day average of daily case numbers is trending downward, as is the state’s test positivity rate, although the White House labeled the state as one of six in the “red” alert level for both daily case numbers and test positivity in a Sept. 6 report.
Idaho Sees Deadliest Day Of Pandemic
September 9 - 5:27 p.m.
Idaho saw its worst one-day death toll from COVID-19, reporting 17 deaths Wednesday. With that the state passed a grim milestone, surpassing 400 deaths since the first state case was confirmed in March.
The state's death toll now stands at 406.
Idaho also reported 245 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19, an uptick after three straight days below 200. There were an additional 84 probable cases reported for a one-day total of 329 new confirmed and likely cases.
Despite daily cases consistently in the triple digits, most businesses around Idaho remain open and few cities have mask mandates, though there are some restrictions in hot spots like Ada County.
CDH Moves Ada County Schools To 'Moderate' Category, Endorsing Reopening
September 9 - 11:15 a.m.
Central District Health Tuesday improved the risk classification for multiple school districts in its area, moving the Boise, West Ada and Kuna school districts from the red, high risk category 3 to the yellow, moderate risk category 2.
The health district also moved districts in Elmore and Boise counties to the moderate category, and schools in Valley County from the yellow to green, low risk category.
IT Problems Derail West Ada School District's First Day Of Class
September 8 - 8:00 p.m.
Tech problems for Idaho’s largest school district meant a shakey start to the first day of school Tuesday.
Server problems nationwide with Blackboard, an online learning tool used by West Ada School District, blocked many students from being able to log into their virtual classrooms, according to district spokeswoman Char Jackson.
Coronavirus Cases Continue to Dip In Idaho
September 8 - 6:00 p.m.
For three days in a row, Idaho has seen fewer than 200 cases a day with 198 new confirmed cases reported Tuesday. Ada County still leads the state with a total of 10,868, adding 41 new cases Tuesday. The less populous Canyon County added 28 new cases with a total of 7,108 confirmed cases since the first case in March. Kootenai County has the third highest cases at 2,266 adding 15 new cases. There are 114 patients in hospitals with confirmed or suspected cases of the novel coronavirus. Four new deaths were reported with the total number of the fatalities at 389.
Twin Falls Rodeo Attracts More Contestants After Others Cancel
September 8 - 7:05 a.m.
Many rodeos and county fairs were cancelled this summer due to COVID-19. But some Idaho fairs went on as planned, and their rodeos attracted more contestants who didn't want to miss out on a summer season.
Average Daily Cases Continues To Decline, Three New Deaths This Weekend
September 7 - 11 p.m.
Data from the State Department of Health and Welfare shows the seven-day average number of new COVID-19 cases in the state continues to fall. Health officials announced 511 new confirmed cases statewide over the holiday weekend. The seven-day average fell 14% from Friday to 207 new cases per day - its lowest level in more than two months.
Ada county continues to be home to the bulk of new cases in the state, but those numbers are also falling. Central District Health Director Russell Duke told the Health Board last week that his office was prepared to lower the county's risk rating from Category 3 (high risk) to Category 2 (moderate) if the data continued a favorable trend. Between Friday and Monday, the seven-day average of new cases in Ada County fell 24% according to state data.
Lowering the county's risk level to Category 2 would allow schools to implement plans to reopen schools for in-person learning, and bars could reopen provided each has a safety plan approved by Central District Health officials.
The state reported three more deaths over the holiday weekend, bringing the statewide death toll to 385 people. State data show 24 people have died already in September, but that number appears to be missing two additional fatalities recently reported by local health districts in Bonneville and Bingham Counties.
The state has confirmed 31,245 cases of COVID-19, and consider another 2,496 to be probable infections. Fewer than 1,500 have required hospitalization, and the state considers 16,760 to be recovered.
Nearly one-third of Idaho's cases have been in people between the ages of 18-29. Two-thirds of hospitalizations have been for people older than 60.
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:
