Seven more die from COVID, bringing local death toll to 215

COVID-19 cases are climbing in Idaho’s five northern counties, as Panhandle Health District reported 362 new cases and seven additional deaths over the three-day weekend.

The district’s total positivity count since the onset of the pandemic now sits at 19,532, with 13,735 of those cases considered closed. Panhandle Health is reporting that 215 locals have died from COVID since the pandemic began.

A 10-day stretch of consecutive Kootenai Health hospitalization declines continued Tuesday, with Kootenai Health reporting 59 COVID in-patients, down slightly from Monday’s count of 60. A total of 71 are hospitalized with coronavirus across the district.

Panhandle Health has received 24,100 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Of those, 22,750 have been administered. State officials have said the remaining doses are in the process of being administered shortly.

Statewide, 69,398 doses have been administered. A total of 10,762 Idahoans have already been given both doses of the vaccine. On Monday, 1,520 Idahoans were given their first dose.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is reporting 156,778 state residents have tested positive for COVID-19, including 1,224 new cases on Monday and Tuesday. The department reports that 1,637 Idahoans have died from COVID-19.

With Thursday marking one year since the novel coronavirus was first confirmed in the United States, the World Health Organization is reporting that America has surpassed more than 400,000 deaths.