Kootenai Health has record 145 COVID-19 patients

Kootenai Health reported it had a record 145 COVID-19 patients on Tuesday, 42 requiring critical care and 20 on ventilators.

The Panhandle Health District on Tuesday reported 243 new coronavirus cases. The total number of deaths in the PHD attributed to the virus stands at 491. Of those, 14 were people under the age of 50. The majority of coronavirus-related deaths in the PHD, 390, were those over the age of 70.

There have been 326 COVID-related deaths in Kootenai County.

There have been a total of 34,823 coronavirus cases in the PHD, according to its website. The death rate of those with the coronavirus in Kootenai County is 1.3%, while the hospitalization rate is 6.7%.

Doctors have said they are seeing more younger coronavirus patients, primarily due to the rapid spread of the delta variant.

Kootenai Health reported it had four pediatric patients, those age 21 or younger, on Tuesday.

Health officials also continue to urge people to get vaccinated to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. They say that most who are hospitalized for the coronavirus are unvaccinated.

In Kootenai County, 61,516 people, 43% of the eligible population, are fully vaccinated. In the PHD, 89,666 people, 42%, are fully vaccinated, according to the state website. Statewide, 793,627, or 53%, are fully vaccinated.