Latest Idaho COVID-19 and vaccine data: Aug 23-25

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW) Director Dave Jeppesen announced on April 27 that Idaho residency or working in Idaho would no longer be required to be vaccinated in Idaho.

Data from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare shows that 47% of all Idahoans eligible for the vaccine are fully vaccinated. Health officials are working to decrease vaccine hesitancy and get as many Idahoans vaccinated as possible.

If you want to make an appointment with a healthcare provider to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, click here.

Gov. Brad Little's office announced on July 27 that the governor does not have any plans to issue new guidance around mask use as the state's positivity rate increases. However, Little plans to closely monitor hospitalizations and case rates.

Marrisa Morrison-Hyer, the press secretary for the state of Idaho, issued the following statement on safety guidance:

Governor Little continues to urge Idahoans to consider CDC guidance on the use of masks and continues to encourage Idahoans to choose to receive the vaccine to protect lives and the economy.

Idaho vaccine data as of

Wednesday, August 25

• Total vaccine doses administered: 1,472,219

• Idahoans with one dose of vaccine: 84,308

• Fully-vaccinated Idahoans: 724,235

• Percentage of eligible Idaho population to receive at least one dose: 53.3%

• Percentage of eligible Idaho population to receive final dose: 47.8%

Note: ”Fully vaccinated” includes people who have received both doses of Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine.

RELATED: Idaho launches new COVID-19 vaccine appointment system

We will update this section daily with a summary of the latest COVID-19 data reported in Idaho each day. Anything over a week old will be removed. 

Wednesday, August 25

• 1,019 total new cases: 783 confirmed, 236 probable
• 8 new deaths reported
• 2,401 vaccine breakthrough cases
• 436 COVID-19 patients hospitalized
• 135 COVID-19 patients in the ICU

Tuesday, August 24

• 1,032 total new cases: 698 confirmed, 334probable
• 7 new deaths reported
• 2,401 vaccine breakthrough cases

Monday, August 23

• 645 total new cases: 523 confirmed, 122 probable
• 13 new deaths reported
• 2,401 vaccine breakthrough cases

RELATED: Idaho schools won't require COVID-19 vaccines, state superintendent says

The Idaho Dept. of Health and Welfare (IDHW) and local health experts provide a state COVID-19 update every two weeks on Tuesday. The next one is scheduled for August 31.

Tuesday, August 17 COVID-19 briefing

Idaho public health officials again expressed concerns that the state is headed in the wrong direction as the delta variant gets a stronger foothold.

Dr. Kathryn Turner, deputy state epidemiologist, says based on the projections, Idaho could have 2,500 hospital admissions and 30,000 new cases per week -- or more than 4,000 new cases a day, which would be almost 1,700 more than the previous daily high from December 2020.

Turner also noted a significant increase in hospitalizations of people with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases. She said the number of people in an intensive care unit is currently equivalent to what we saw last winter, when ICU hospitalizations peaked.

Tuesday, August 3 COVID-19 briefing

Idaho health officials and Gov. Brad Little expressed concern on Tuesday about the rising number of COVID-19 delta variants in the state.

"With the new school year upon us we should renew our commitment to our students," Little said. "Simply put, we need more Idahoans to choose to receive the vaccine if our kids have a chance at a normal school year. One that is entirely in-person without outbreaks and quarantines."

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen confirmed the delta variant is now the dominant one in Idaho. He says there's been an increase in COVID-19 patients in hospitals and intensive care units. The number of patients at these facilities has doubled since July 1. 

"The delta variant is here and it is moving the numbers the wrong way," he said.

Jeppesen said there is some good news to report. Vaccination rates in Idaho are starting to increase. More than 50% of Idahoans age 12 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine. He urged people to get the vaccine saying "it is the way we will bring this pandemic to an end."

Deputy state epidemiologist Dr. Kathryn Turner said the delta variant of the virus is much more transmissible than other variants we have seen in Idaho.

"Recent studies of outbreaks of people who have been infected with the delta variant have indicated that when that person is infected they will, in turn, infect somewhere between five and nine people," Turner said. 

She said that means this variant is twice as contagious as variants that have circulated recently.

Read the full story here.

Watch: Idaho Dept. of Health and Welfare biweekly COVID-19 briefing

Timeline of COVID-19 and vaccines in Idaho: 

Mouse over or tap each data point for more details. (Mobile users can tap here for a larger version).

"Probable" cases are people who have received a positive antigen test but not a lab PCR test, or people showing symptoms who had close contact with a confirmed coronavirus case, such as a member of the same household.

Timeline: New Idaho daily cases reported over the last two weeks 

Mouse over or tap each data point for more details. (Mobile users can tap here for a larger version).

This graph is updated on weekdays.

Timeline: Trend in newly reported cases over a 14-day period

Mouse over or tap each data point for more details. (Mobile users can tap here for a larger version).

This graph is updated on weekdays.

Year-to-year comparison of new daily cases since the first case reported in Idaho:

Map of Idaho confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, deaths, and variant cases by county:

You can hover over each county to see its latest numbers.

Timeline of total COVID-19 related deaths in Idaho: 

Mouse over or tap each data point for more details. (Mobile users can tap here for a larger version).

Timeline of total number of COVID-19 cases in Idaho and new cases reported:

Mouse over or tap each data point for more details. (Mobile users can tap here for a larger version).

Numerous providers throughout the state of Idaho are administering the COVID-19 vaccine. As demand for the vaccine has declined in recent months, many facilities have begun offering walk-in vaccination appointments.

Here’s what you need to do to get your vaccine:

Saint Alphonsus

You can schedule a vaccine appointment at Saint Alphonsus by clicking here, but walk-in appointments are generally available on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Click here for a full schedule of Saint Alphonsus’ vaccine clinic.

Saint Alphonsus will offer free COVID-19 vaccines to three additional communities-Kuna, Caldwell and Horseshoe Bend- in June and July.  Using a Mobile Vaccine Unit (MVU) provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the vaccination clinics will begin on June 21.

The MVU will also return Weiser to administer booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine or the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.  Patients interested in getting their first dose of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine will be able to schedule appointments at other Saint Alphonsus locations for their second vaccine. 

Appointments are not required to attend the clinics, and the vaccine is available at no cost. Optional pre-registration is available here.

Here is the upcoming schedule for Saint Alphonsus vaccination clinics:

Weiser, June 14-19 at Memorial Park Gray Avenue

• Monday-Friday: 4-8 p.m. 
• Saturday: 12-4 p.m.

Kuna, June 21-26 at Bernie Fisher Park (201 W. Main Street)

• Monday-Friday: 4-8 p.m.
• Saturday: 12-4 p.m.
• MVU will return for booster shots July 12-17

Caldwell, June 28-July 1 at Whittenberger Park (420 W. Chicago)

• Monday-Thursday: 4-8 p.m.  
• MVU will return for booster shots July 19-22       

Horseshoe Bend, July 6-10 at Horseshoe Bend High School (398 School Road)

• Tuesday-Saturday: 4-6 p.m.
• MVU will return for booster shots July 27-31

Patients who are unable to leave home and travel to the mobile clinic in these communities can request a home visit by (208) 367-4482 and selecting Option 5. Home appointments are also available for healthcare providers or family caregivers who are not able to leave to get their vaccines.

Vaccines are provided at no cost to the patients.  Medical insurance cards are accepted for patients with insurance.  

In Idaho, minors need a parent's or guardian's signed consent to receive the vaccine. Consent forms in English and Spanish can be found here.

St. Luke's

Walk-ins are accepted at most of St. Luke’s designated COVID-19 vaccine sites, but appointments can still be made through myChart or by calling (208) 381-9500. 

Idahoans 12 and older can get the COVID-19 vaccine at St. Lukes, but parental consent is required for patients under the age of 18.

Learn more here.

Primary Health

Primary Health is now vaccinating all individuals age 12 and older on a walk-in basis. 

For patients age 12-17, Pfizer is the only vaccine available. 

All Primary Health locations are offering the Pfizer vaccine, but only certain locations are offering Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. To find a clinic near you, click here.

Rite Aid

Rite Aid pharmacies are administering the COVID-19 vaccine, but only certain vaccines are carried at each pharmacy.

To make an appointment and learn more about vaccine availability, click here.

Note: The Rite Aid website may ask you to confirm your date of birth to assume you are eligible. If you are under the age of 18, you may need parental assistance.

Walgreens

To schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment in Idaho and Oregon:

1. Sign in to your Walgreens.com account, create a new account or schedule an appointment as a guest. You must complete the process as a guest if you’re scheduling an appointment on behalf of someone else. A parent or legal guardian must complete registration for minors under the age of 13, as our sites are not intended for minors under the age of 13. Account creation is subject to age restriction.

2. Complete a quick eligibility screening.

3. If you’re eligible, we’ll look for available COVID-19 vaccination appointments based on your age and location.

To schedule an appointment online, click here.

To schedule an appointment by phone, call your local pharmacy or 1-800-WALGREENS  (1-800-925-4733).

Walmart

Walmart pharmacies announced in early May that walk-up immunizations are now available at all 27 of its pharmacies in Idaho. To schedule an appointment, click here.

• "Recoveries" are tracked by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. The state says it "Is defined as the number of persons with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis who are alive 30 days post-onset (or referral date if onset is not available) based upon total cases, deaths, and any clinical info available."
• "Confirmed" cases refer to a person who was tested for COVID-19 and tested positive.
• "Probable" cases refer to a person who is exhibiting symptoms after coming in contact with a person who has a confirmed case. Though a probable case is not confirmed, the state will monitor the person for symptoms.
• "Total cases" refers to the number of confirmed and probable cases combined. We will always clarify how many of the total cases are confirmed and how many are probable in our daily updates.
• "Breakthrough cases" refer to the number of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases identified in a fully vaccinated individual.

At KTVB, we’re focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the virus. To see our full coverage, visit our coronavirus section, here: www.ktvb.com/coronavirus.

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