COVID-19 hospitalizations remain low in North Idaho

COEUR d’ALENE — The positivity rate for COVID-19 in North Idaho remained in double digits over the past week.

According to the state’s COVID-19 Dashboard, Kootenai County’s positivity rate was 11.2% based on 374 PCR tests for the week ending May 14. That was a slight increase from 10.4% the previous week.

The Panhandle Health District’s positivity rate dipped to 12.8% based on 548 PCR tests, while the state’s remained low at 5.5% based on 12,167 PCR tests.

The PHD reported four hospitalizations due to COVID-19 on Thursday and 140 new cases in the past week. There have been a total of 961 deaths attributed to the virus in the PHD, but none in May and six in April, according to the PHD’s website.

Statewide, hospitalizations have not increased. They were at 45 on Monday, which is consistent with what they have been the past six weeks.

Statewide, there have been 4,936 COVID-19 related deaths. Of those 88% were people over the age of 60, while 1.7% were under the age of 40.