Idaho’s coronavirus case numbers dropped again this week, remaining at numbers not seen since last summer.
But Idaho’s vaccination rollout hit a pothole.
Idaho administered 70,329 vaccinations in the past week, the lowest figure since late February.
The slowdown in vaccinations comes as state officials say vaccine supply could soon outstrip demand — and as some health officials are sounding the alarm about “vaccine hesitancy.”
“We’re worried that people are becoming increasingly hesitant in a time when we need to see our vaccination rates increase,” said state public health administrator Elke Shaw-Tulloch, as reported Tuesday by Kyle Pfannenstiel of the Idaho Falls Post Register.
“We cannot rely on natural immunity as the main source of herd immunity,” Dr. Meghan McInerney, ICU medical director at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, said on Boise State Public Radio this week. “We have vaccines available; that is the best way to get to herd immunity.”
Vaccinations are available to all Idahoans age 16 and older.
As of Friday afternoon, the state and its seven health districts reported 186,302 confirmed or probable coronavirus cases, a 0.8 percent weekly increase.
The new case numbers represent the lowest weekly figure since late June.
Here are this week’s numbers, and comparisons with the previous week:
Statewide data | April 16 | April 23 | Change, April 10-16 | Change, April 17-23 |
Cases, confirmed and probable | 184,886 | 186,302 | 1,646 | 1,416 |
Deaths | 2,017 | 2,031 | 24 | 14 |
Patients ever hospitalized | 7,943 | 8,033 | 221 | 90 |
Patients ever admitted to ICU | 1,361 | 1,368 | 41 | 7 |
Idahoans vaccinated | 559,968 | 585,090 | 41,518 | 25,122 |
Idahoans fully vaccinated | 399,110 | 444,371 | 53,882 | 45,261 |
Vaccine doses administered | 927,665 | 997,994 | 88,810 | 70,329 |
‘Breakthrough’ cases
(vaccinated Idahoans who later test positive) |
154 | 179 | N/A | 25 |
Total tests administered | 1,234,070 | 1,256,053 | 20,607 | 21,983 |
Health care workers infected | 10,303 | 10,402 | 128 | 99 |
Patients recovered, estimated | 104,211 | 105,732 | 1,514 | 1,521 |
Total cases, ages 0-4 | 2,837 | 2,865 | 43 | 28 |
Total cases, ages 5-12 | 7,067 | 7,144 | 88 | 77 |
Total cases, ages 13-17 | 10,698 | 10,814 | 110 | 116 |
Total cases, ages 18-29 | 46,114 | 46,529 | 437 | 415 |
Weekly positive test rate, as reported by the state: 4.7 percent for week ending April 17, unchanged from the previous week.
Top 10 counties, by total cases | April 16 | April 23 | New cases, April 17-23 | New cases per day, per 100,000 population |
Ada | 50,617 | 51,116 | 499 | 14.8 |
Canyon | 26,076 | 26,243 | 167 | 10.4 |
Kootenai | 17,481 | 17,610 | 129 | 11.1 |
Bonneville | 14,593 | 14,708 | 115 | 13.8 |
Twin Falls | 9,309 | 9,354 | 45 | 7.4 |
Bannock | 8,577 | 8,640 | 63 | 10.2 |
Madison | 7,092 | 7,117 | 25 | 9.0 |
Bingham | 4,792 | 4,807 | 15 | 4.6 |
Nez Perce | 3,532 | 3,557 | 25 | 8.8 |
Bonner | 3,181 | 3,205 | 24 | 7.5 |
Ten hotspot counties (most daily cases, per 100,000 population) | April 16 | April 23 | New cases,
April 17-23 |
New cases per day, per 100,000 population |
Elmore | 1,898 | 1,954 | 56 | 29.1 |
Shoshone | 1,062 | 1,079 | 17 | 18.9 |
Latah | 3,019 | 3,066 | 47 | 16.7 |
Teton | 1,188 | 1,202 | 14 | 16.5 |
Blaine | 2,330 | 2,354 | 24 | 14.9 |
Ada | 50,617 | 51,116 | 499 | 14.8 |
Bonneville | 14,593 | 14,708 | 115 | 13.8 |
Jefferson | 2,937 | 2,965 | 28 | 13.4 |
Boise | 339 | 346 | 7 | 12.8 |
Jerome | 2,557 | 2,577 | 20 | 11.7 |