Fresh data on Idaho’s latest COVID-19 surge is out. The news isn’t good. What to know

Keep those masks on indoors when you’re not at home, Treasure Valley residents. Some of your neighbors are still getting sick from COVID-19, with some ending up in intensive care.

Just-released data indicates Idaho’s latest surge persists. Ada, Canyon, Boise and Elmore counties, among others in Idaho, are in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s red zone, where universal indoor masking is recommended. Although, as everyone knows, most people aren’t bothering.

New numbers from the CDC and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare show a small increase in positive cases and hospitalizations in Ada and Canyon counties.

Here’s what the latest CDC metrics say:

Case rates. Ada County’s COVID-19 case rate increased from about 243 per 100,000 people the previous week to 253, a 4% increase. Canyon County’s case rate fell from 213 to about 209, nearly a 2% decline.

Hospital admissions. In Ada County, COVID-19 admissions increased from 18.4 per 100,000 people to 20.8. In Canyon County, admissions also rose from 18.4 to 20.8.

Hospital beds filled. The percentage of staffed inpatient beds in use by confirmed COVID-19 patients in Ada County decreased from 9.9% the previous week to 8.8%. Canyon County’s rate also fell from 9.9% to 8.8%.

As of Monday, separate state data shows 184 hospital patients had COVID-19, including 20 in intensive care. The previous week, 185 hospital patients had COVID-19, and 11 were in intensive care.

Health and Welfare also tracks positivity rates for the entire state. Here’s what the state numbers say:

Positive test results. Statewide positivity rates for COVID-19 decreased to 12.3% for the week of July 17-23 from 13.3% for July 10-16. This percentage had been rising since late March and reached a peak in early July.

While even this small decline may be a sign of progress, the 12.3% rate is still more than twice the 5% benchmark experts use to indicate control over spread of the respiratory disease.

And the actual positivity rate is likely higher. Public health experts say the positivity metric does not fully capture the footprint of the disease in Idaho because of the widespread use of at-home tests. Not to mention that people with mild symptoms may not test at all.

ADA, CANYON, ELMORE, BOISE COUNTIES IN RED

Ada, Canyon, Elmore and Boise counties are all listed as high risk on the CDC’s COVID-19 community level dashboard. For counties at high risk, also known as the red zone, the CDC suggests wearing a mask indoors and on public transportation, regardless of vaccination status.

Ada, Canyon and Elmore counties were in the red zone last week as well. But Boise County was at medium risk – the yellow zone – where the CDC recommends that immunocompromised people speak with a health care provider about whether to mask up in public spaces. Now, Boise County is listed as high risk.

Other Idaho counties in the red zone include Valley, Washington, Adams, Payette, Gem, Boise, Owyhee, Gooding, Twin Falls, Jerome and Caribou.

In Idaho, 950,275 people are vaccinated for COVID-19, according to Health and Welfare.