K-12 coronavirus summary, 1.18.21: In an abbreviated reporting period, numbers decrease

Idaho’s K-12 system reported at least 126 new coronavirus cases last week.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s latest report, issued Friday, covers an abbreviated five-day period running from Jan. 11 through Friday.

Normally, the Health and Welfare reports cover a full seven-day Monday-through-Sunday period, but the agency released this week’s report early, due to Monday’s holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

The week’s hotspots:

  • Centennial High School, Boise: Six cases.
  • Highland High School, Pocatello: Six cases.
  • Heritage Middle School, Meridian: Five cases.
  • Mountain View High School, Meridian: Five cases.
  • Century High School, Pocatello: Four cases.
  • Lake Magnet Middle School, Coeur d’Alene: Four cases.
  • Post Falls High School: Four cases.

Through Friday, Health and Welfare has linked at least 5,447 coronavirus cases to K-12 students and teachers. By comparison, the agency’s Jan. 11 report put the K-12 case number at 5,144.

The weekly reports are a snapshot, and they’re incomplete.

Not every school reports its case numbers weekly; the 126 cases reflect reports received by Health and Welfare by Friday. Health and Welfare does not release any case numbers from schools with fewer than 50 students, citing privacy concerns. In some cases, Health and Welfare has only a minimum number of coronavirus cases for a school.

For the 2020-21 school year, the state’s highest case numbers are all tied to high schools.

  • Lake City High School: 120 cases.
  • Mountain View High School, Meridian: 88 cases.
  • Coeur d’Alene High School: 84 cases.
  • Eagle High School: At least 81 cases.
  • Thunder Ridge High School, Idaho Falls: at least 78 cases.
  • Meridian High School: 78 cases.
  • Rocky Mountain High School, Meridian: 78 cases.
  • Lewiston High School: 72 cases.
  • Bonneville High School, Idaho Falls: at least 69 cases.
  • Hillcrest High School, Ammon: at least 69 cases.

As of Sunday, the state and its health districts have reported 155,608 confirmed or probable coronavirus cases.

Kevin Richert

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]

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