A record-setting surge in COVID-19 cases after the Thanksgiving holiday looks to have flattened out this week.
On Friday, the state was reporting 128,218 new cases, about a 7 percent increase from last week.
Last week’s coronavirus trends were simply frightening. Cases set a weekly record, eclipsing the 10,000 mark for the first time. The state set two daily records in one week. And deaths set another weekly record.
The past week saw 8,375 new cases, according to state data, the smallest weekly increase in at least a month.
In other coronavirus headlines from the week:
K-12 COVID cases down after record-breaking November. The state saw 315 new cases this week, the lowest increase since the start of November. Some of the state’s largest districts, including Boise, Nampa and Caldwell, have moved online, some citing staff shortages and others the risk of infection.
Education leaders try to strike a balance between spectators and safety. A coalition of Idaho education groups sent a proposal to Gov. Brad Little, seeking to allow more spectators into youth sports events. Under current statewide health mandates, spectators are capped at 10 people per game. The new proposal would allow two spectators per participant, but also require rigid safety protocols and penalties for districts that break those.
Also this week, Boise and Nampa school districts announced a return to sports competitions while students are online.
| Statewide data | Dec. 11 | Dec. 18 | Change, Dec. 5-11 | Change, Dec. 12-18 |
| Cases, confirmed and probable | 119,843 | 128,218 | 11,279 | 8,375 |
| Total cases, ages 0-4 | 1,758 | 1,901 | 155 | 143 |
| Total cases, ages 5-12 | 4,239 | 4,510 | 405 | 271 |
| Total cases, ages 13-17 | 6,861 | 7,296 | 617 | 435 |
| Total cases, ages 18-29 | 30,807 | 32,601 | 2,564 | 1,794 |
| Deaths | 1,166 | 1,275 | 134 | 109 |
| Patients ever hospitalized | 4,719 | 5,086 | 377 | 367 |
| Patients ever admitted to ICU | 871 | 928 | 66 | 57 |
| Patients recovered, estimated | 45,810 | 49,914 | 3,139 | 4,104 |
| Idahoans tested | 502,070 | 521,917 | 14,610 | 19,847 |
| Health care workers infected | 5,797 | 6,215 | 409 | 418 |
| Positive test rate (based on all cases divided by testing numbers, as reported by the state) | 23.9 percent | 24.5
percent |
+1.6 percentage points | +0.6
percentage points |
| Top 10 counties, by new cases this week | Dec. 11 | Dec. 18 | New cases, Dec. 12-18 | New cases per day, per 100,000 population |
| Ada | 30,775 | 33,610 | 2,835 | 84 |
| Canyon | 17,858 | 19,082 | 1,224 | 76 |
| Kootenai | 9,797 | 10,937 | 1,140 | 98 |
| Bonneville | 9,090 | 9,574 | 484 | 58 |
| Bannock | 5,513 | 5,845 | 332 | 54 |
| Twin Falls | 7,382 | 7,600 | 218 | 36 |
| Bingham | 3,203 | 3,399 | 196 | 60 |
| Bonner | 1,368 | 1,563 | 195 | 61 |
| Nez Perce | 2,667 | 2,846 | 179 | 63 |
| Madison | 4,862 | 5,019 | 157 | 56 |
| Ten hotspot counties (most daily cases, per 100,000 population) | Dec. 11 | Dec. 18 | New cases, Dec. 12-18 | New cases per day, per 100,000 population |
| Adams | 133 | 173 | 40 | 133 |
| Shoshone | 643 | 733 | 90 | 100 |
| Kootenai | 9,797 | 10,937 | 1,140 | 98 |
| Lewis | 294 | 317 | 23 | 86 |
| Ada | 30,775 | 33,610 | 2,835 | 84 |
| Washington | 857 | 917 | 60 | 84 |
| Gem | 1,226 | 1,326 | 100 | 79 |
| Canyon | 17,858 | 19,082 | 1,224 | 76 |
| Clearwater | 731 | 777 | 46 | 75 |
| Oneida | 210 | 231 | 21 | 66 |