As coronavirus vaccination numbers surged to a one-week high, new coronavirus cases dropped slightly.
As of Friday afternoon, the state and its seven health districts reported 172,919 confirmed or probable coronavirus cases. This represented a 1.1 percent increase from last week.
Meanwhile, the state administered a record 74,944 vaccinations, a one-week increase of 23 percent. The surge was driven, in part, by the arrival of the newly approved one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. State officials expected more than 13,000 Johnson & Johnson doses this week, but expect no additional shipments next week. State officials hope to see supplies improve — and vaccination numbers rebound — later in March.
In other coronavirus headlines from the week:
The pace picks up. The state will accelerate its vaccination schedule, allowing another 134,000 frontline workers to receive vaccines starting March 15. The faster timetable could bode well for thousands of Idahoans — including college and university staff and students — still biding their time in the vaccination queue.
Registration site goes live. On Friday, the state launched a vaccination preregistration site. (Click here to sign up.) “The new pre-registration system is designed to take the frustration out of getting a COVID-19 vaccination appointment,” Gov. Brad Little said in a news release. “It is user-friendly, easy to understand, and it was built from the ground up with Idahoans in mind.”
An ISAT reality check. The Biden administration is requiring states to administer standardized tests — including the Idaho Standards Achievement Test. After two years without an assessment, state leaders say the results could help quantify learning loss stemming from the pandemic. “You can’t fix a problem you don’t understand,” State Board of Education member Kurt Liebich said this week.
Here are this week’s numbers, and comparisons with the previous week:
| Statewide data | Feb. 26 | March 5 | Change, Feb. 20-26 | Change, Feb. 27-March 5 |
| Cases, confirmed and probable | 171,039 | 172,919 | 1,977 | 1,880 |
| Total cases, ages 0-4 | 2,539 | 2,580 | 36 | 41 |
| Total cases, ages 5-12 | 6,257 | 6,372 | 91 | 115 |
| Total cases, ages 13-17 | 9,700 | 9,849 | 147 | 149 |
| Total cases, ages 18-29 | 42,629 | 43,099 | 521 | 470 |
| Deaths | 1,860 | 1,877 | 34 | 17 |
| Patients ever hospitalized | 7,065 | 7,179 | 92 | 114 |
| Patients ever admitted to ICU | 1,229 | 1,245 | 10 | 16 |
| Patients recovered, estimated | 93,975 | 95,808 | 2,338 | 2,433 |
| Total tests administered | 1,080,708 | 1,101,848 | 23,969 | 21,140 |
| Health care workers infected | 9,558 | 9,697 | 152 | 139 |
| Idahoans vaccinated | 233,241 | 271,684 | 28,089 | 38,443 |
| Idahoans fully vaccinated | 113,152 | 149,643 | 32,763 | 36,491 |
| Vaccine doses administered | 346,393 | 421,337 | 60,852 | 74,944 |
Weekly positive test rate, as reported by the state: 4.5 percent for week ending Feb. 27, down from 4.6 percent the previous week.
| Top 10 counties, by total cases | Feb. 26 | March 5 | New cases, Feb. 27-March 5 | New cases per day, per 100,000 population |
| Ada | 46,696 | 47,230 | 534 | 15.8 |
| Canyon | 24,693 | 24,870 | 177 | 11.0 |
| Kootenai | 16,629 | 16,772 | 143 | 12.3 |
| Bonneville | 12,126 | 12,427 | 301 | 36.1 |
| Twin Falls | 8,996 | 9,029 | 33 | 5.4 |
| Bannock | 7,862 | 7,955 | 93 | 15.1 |
| Madison | 6,329 | 6,427 | 98 | 35.3 |
| Bingham | 4,239 | 4,316 | 77 | 23.5 |
| Nez Perce | 3,352 | 3,371 | 19 | 6.7 |
| Bonner | 2,969 | 3,002 | 33 | 10.3 |
| Ten hotspot counties (most daily cases, per 100,000 population) | Feb. 26 | March 5 | New cases, Feb. 27-March 5 | New cases per day, per 100,000 population |
| Bonneville | 12,126 | 12,427 | 301 | 36.1 |
| Madison | 6,329 | 6,427 | 98 | 35.3 |
| Teton | 1,074 | 1,100 | 26 | 30.6 |
| Fremont | 1,006 | 1,031 | 25 | 27.3 |
| Latah | 2,723 | 2,799 | 76 | 27.1 |
| Benewah | 609 | 626 | 17 | 26.1 |
| Jefferson | 2,444 | 2,494 | 50 | 23.9 |
| Bingham | 4,239 | 4,316 | 77 | 23.5 |
| Bear Lake | 349 | 359 | 10 | 23.3 |
| Blaine | 2,159 | 2,188 | 29 | 18.0 |
