COVID-19 pandemic in Idaho
[1] As of February 15, 2023, there have been 517,540 confirmed cases and 5,389 deaths within Idaho, while 975,583 people have been fully vaccinated (not including booster doses).
[1] Five days beforehand, on March 8, a man of age 54 had died of an unknown respiratory illness which his doctor had believed to be pneumonia.
[1] The South Central Public Health District, announced that a woman over the age of 50 that resides in Blaine County had contracted the infection.
[7] Eastern Idaho Public Health reported a confirmed positive case in a woman under the age of 60 in Teton County.
[7] The South Central Public Health District announced that a woman over the age of 50 that resides in Blaine County had contracted the infection.
The first case on this date was by officials from Central District Health reported that a female under the age of 50 in Ada County was recovering at home and was not hospitalized.
[8] On March 18, two additional confirmed cases were announced by South Central Public Health District officials.
Dr. David Peterman, CEO of Primary Health Medical Group, stated that 20% of the staff were out because they have tested positive for the virus, and that the organization's clinics were 10–15 days from rationing care.
A majority of the healthcare workers at Madison Memorial Hospital received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine's 2 shot series.
One of the Madison Memorial doctors, Steven H. Lofgran, MD, participated in the Pfizer trial study previous to the vaccination receiving approval.
[13] With Idaho having one of the lowest vaccination rate among all U.S. states, and only 49.3% of eligible residents fully vaccinated,[14] Idaho experienced its most severe wave of COVID-19 hospitalizations to date beginning in late summer, with some medical facilities exceeding capacity due to a flood of patients with what by then was a preventable illness.
[25] The amended order further directed residents to wear masks in public, and also mandated that travelers from outside the state self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
On his return the following day, Little promptly repealed the order, stating that "[t]aking the earliest opportunity to act solitarily on a highly politicized, polarizing issue without conferring with local jurisdictions, legislators, and the sitting Governor is, simply put, an abuse of power," and that McGeachin had "unilaterally and unlawfully" deprived local officials of the ability to determine public-health policies in their own jurisdictions.
[28] State health officials spoke out in support of a statewide mask mandate, emphasizing the importance of mask-wearing in reducing the spread of COVID-19 in Idaho.
