While dropping in several counties, the region's novel coronavirus positivity continues to remain high, according to the Idaho Division of Public Health.

Among the counties where the rate dropped, Bonner County saw its positivity rate decrease slightly in the past week. The rate dropping from a pandemic high of 36.4% to 32.6% for the week ending Jan. 29 based on 782 PCR tests.

In Boundary County, the positivity rate increased, going from 29.5% to 36.4% for the week ending Jan. 29 based on 173 PCR tests.

Kootenai County's positivity rate was 40.5% for the week ending Jan. 29 based on 2,908 PCR tests. It's the second straight week that the county's positivity rate has been above 40%.

In Benewah County, the positivity rate also rose, jumping from 31.9% to 44.6% based on 83 PCR tests. In Shoshone County, the positivity rate dropped to 32% 48.8% — the county's highest of the pandemic — based on 147 PCR tests.

The Panhandle Health District’s dropped slightly, to 38.6% from 39.5%, based on 4,093 PCR tests, while the state’s positivity rate fell to 34% from 39% based on 42,799 PCR tests.

The PHD reported 440 new cases on Thursday and the number of deaths in the district attributed to COVID-19 rose to 850, with 527 of those in Kootenai County. In Bonner County, there have been 163 deaths attributed to COVID-19; in Boundary County, 55 deaths; in Shoshone County, 71 deaths; and in Benewah County, 34 deaths.

Despite 912,140 fully vaccinated Idahoans, the state reported 2,496 new cases on Thursday.

Statewide, officials attributed most new cases to the omicron variant, which is said to be more contagious but milder — causing mostly cold-like symptom — than its predecessors, alpha and delta. However, in North Idaho, a majority of the cases continue to be of the delta variant, according to Idaho Division of Public Health data.

A majority of Bonner County's COVID 184 cases reported in the week ending Jan. 29 were of the delta variant, with 171 cases reported. In addition, the state reported six alpha variant cases, one beta variant, three epsilon variant cases, two gamma variant cases and one omicron variant case.

Of the 10 COVID-19 cases reported for the week, all were of the delta variant, officials reported.

In Kootenai County, a majority of the cases for the week — 1,068 of the 1,405 reported COVID-19 cases, were of the delta variant. Another 187 were of the alpha variant, 23 epsilon, 36 gamma, 22 iota, one mu and 68 omicron.

Almost all of the cases reported in Benewah County were of the delta variant at 22, with eight alpha variant cases and two omicron cases. And in Shoshone County, as elsewhere in North Idaho, a majority of the 174 reported COVID-19 cases were of the delta variant with 136 cases reported. There were also 15 alpha variant cases reported and 19 omicron cases reported.

State health officials continue to call on people to get vaccinated, boosted and wear medical-grade masks in public.

They have said the vaccine is safe, effective and has minimal side effects.

COVID-19 continues to take a heavier toll on older people. In the PHD, 90% of deaths attributed to COVID were people age 60 and older. Just 1% of those in the PHD whose deaths are attributed to COVID-19 were under the age of 40.