PHD: COVID positivity rate highest yet at 17.7%

The Panhandle Health District reported 151 new coronavirus cases on Thursday.

PHD’s positivity rate — based on 4,402 PCR tests for the week ending Nov. 7 — climbed to its highest, 17.7%, since the pandemic began earlier this year.

The state’s most recent positivity rate was 16.9%.

Of the 88 deaths in the PHD attributed to the coronavirus, 82 were people age 70 and older.

The 18-29 age group has had the most cases, 1,452, in the PHD.

Kootenai County had 113 new cases, with its total now standing at 5,594 coronavirus cases and 61 deaths. It has nearly 2,000 active cases, about 1.2 percent of its population.

Bonner County had 16 new cases Thursday, Shoshone and Boundary both had nine new cases and Benewah County had four new cases.

Kootenai Health continues to operate close to capacity and has 47 COVID patients, with 11 of those in critical care.

Health officials urge people to wear masks, wash hands and maintain social distance to help prevent the virus from spreading.