Record positivity rates reported across Idaho as COVID-19 cases continue to soar
Nicole Foy, The Idaho Statesman
The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on Idaho continues to worsen by nearly every metric the state uses to track it.
Thursday, updated positivity rates reported by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and local health districts broke records again. Roughly 20% of Idahoans tested were positive for the coronavirus last week, up from 18.3% the previous week. That means roughly one of every five Idahoans tested had the coronavirus last week.
Positivity rates for four of the state’s seven health districts also broke records. Boise-based Central District Health reported 18.5% positivity, health districts based in Coeur d’Alene (Panhandle) and Lewiston (North Central) reported 24% and 21.6% positivity rates and the Southeastern Idaho Public Health District based in Pocatello recorded a 15.5% positivity rate. Eastern Idaho Public Health District was at a state-high 24.4%, but that’s not the district record.