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 October 18-24 on closures, openings, cancellations & news regarding the coronavirus in Idaho.
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834 New Confirmed Cases, Ten New Deaths Saturday
October 24 - 6 p.m.
Health officials confirmed ten deaths and 834 new cases of COVID-19 Saturday, plus 187 new probable cases. The total daily cases in Idaho eclipsed one thousand for the third time in the past eight days. In that same time span, 49 people have died due to coronavirus complications.
Since March, 51,736 cases have been confirmed in Idaho and 572 people have died.
Idaho has the fifth highest concentration of recent new cases per 100,000 of population in the United States, at 48.6. That metric averages new cases over the previous seven day period and divides by population. Idaho joins North and South Dakota, Montana, Wisconisn and Wyoming as states with the worst current spread.
Nearly 200 new cases this week were among long term care residents and staff, according to weekly information provided Friday by Idaho Health and Welfare. While new cases continue to grow, they are growing at a slightly slower rate than earlier this summer.
Second-Highest Number Of Total COVID-19 Cases Recorded, Highest Confirmed Infections
October 23 - 5:35 p.m.
State health officials reported 1,073 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday. Of those, 921 are confirmed and 152 are probable.The statewide total of confirmed cases is now 50,902. There are an additional 6,771 probable cases statewide.
Friday’s count broke the record for the highest number of new test-confirmed COVID-19 infections since the beginning of the pandemic.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported nine new deaths Friday, bringing the statewide total to 562. Bingham and Bonneville counties each had two fatalities. Blaine, Gooding, Jerome, Madison, and Twin Falls each saw one death.
Kootenai County, whose health board lifted the mask mandate earlier this week, saw a new one day record for infections Friday, with 112 new cases.
Friday, St. Luke’s Magic Valley announced it has temporarily stopped admitting children to save capacity for the increasing number of COVID-19 patients. Children will instead be transferred to St. Luke’s Children in Boise.
Idaho Adds More Than 750 Coronavirus Cases, Plus Seven Deaths
October 22 - 5:15 p.m.
With hospitals around the state reporting they’re at capacity, Idaho’s daily case numbers are consistently hitting record levels, suggesting the hospitalization trends will only continue.
Thursday was the third day since Monday the state has added more than 700 confirmed cases in a single day. The state recorded 753 confirmed cases and 197 probable cases for a total of 950 new cases.
Seven deaths were recorded on Thursday, too. Ada and Gooding counties had two deaths and Gem, Twin Falls and Washington had one.
Ada County had 207 confirmed cases, Bonneville had 97; Canyon and Twin Falls both added 83 confirmed cases.
Idaho COVID-19 Cases Continue To Skyrocket
Oct. 21 - 5:15 p.m.
New COVID-19 cases continued to skyrocket Wednesday, with 704 new lab-confirmed cases. That's the third-highest total of the pandemic, with all three of those days coming in the past week.
Idaho also reported 11 more deaths, tied for the second-highest one-day total of the pandemic. Since the first COVID-19 case was reported in Idaho in mid-March, 546 people have died in the state.
There were an additional 283 probable new cases on Wednesday, bringing the overall one-day total to 987.
Despite infections at their worst levels of the seven-month long pandemic, it's business as usual in most of the state. Gov. Brad Little continutes to resist a statewide mask mandate and few cities or counties have pandemic restrictions.
As Magic Valley Hospitals Fill Up, Health Board Issues Large Gathering Limit, But No Mask Mandate
October 21 - 4:45 p.m.
During the South Central Public Health District board meeting on Wednesday, trustees in the Magic Valley heard updates from hospitals, which are under great stress as they're running out of beds and staff to take care of patients. The trustees voted against an order for mandatory face masks, but passed a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people indoors. Read the full story here.
Idaho Confirms Over 700 Coronavirus Cases Tuesday
October 20 - 5:12 p.m.
State officials reported 754 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, its second-highest count since the pandemic began in March, which continues the spike in daily case counts that began last week.
Idaho’s total confirmed case count is now 48,524. An additional 119 cases were listed as probable. In addition to Ada and Canyon counties, Bonneville, Madison and Kootenai continue to be hotspots of community spread.
The state death count now sits at 535, as four COVID-19 deaths were reported Tuesday — one each in Canyon, Shoshone, Bonneville and Gooding counties.
The demographic that continues to lead confirmed case counts in Idaho is 18 to 29 year olds — they account for 32% of all cases, though there has been only one death in that age range.
The Monster Mask: How Idahoans Are Adapting For Halloween
October 20 - 7:45 a.m.
October 31 usually means yards full of glowing, grinning pumpkins, swarms of costumed trick-or-treaters, streams of fake cobwebs and buckets of candy.
“This year was really setting up to be an epic Halloween because it falls on a Saturday and it's not only a full moon, but it's a blue moon. And so with good weather, we may see 20,000 people on Harrison Boulevard,” said Julie Madsen.
Another Nearly 600 Cases Of Coronavirus Confirmed Monday
October 19 - 5:21 p.m.
Idaho confirmed another 595 coronavirus cases and three deaths Monday, as hospitalizations in the state remain high.
That adds up to 47,770 confirmed cases and 531 deaths since mid-March. Two people from Bannock County died, as well as another from Bingham County.
Eastern Idaho remains the epicenter of the state’s current outbreak, with Madison County accounting for nearly 100 of Monday’s overall cases.
ICU capacity hit an all-time low on Friday, with 61 people occupying critical care bed space. It decreased slightly to 54 as of Saturday, the latest data available.
School's Out: West Ada Cancels Class For A Second Day
October 19 - 5:05 p.m.
Idaho’s largest school district has cancelled classes for a second day after teachers called out sick again, demanding better safety measures during the pandemic. Read the entire story here.
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:
