2% and falling
BILL BULEY | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 5 months AGO
Bill Buley covers the city of Coeur d'Alene for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has worked here since January 2020, after spending seven years on Kauai as editor-in-chief of The Garden Island newspaper. He enjoys running. | March 18, 2022 1:00 AM
COVID-19 positivity rates are closing in on zero in North Idaho.
According to the state's COVID-19 dashboard, Kootenai County's positivity rate was 2.4% based on 1,024 PCR tests for the week ending March 12. That's the lowest since August 2020 and the seventh-straight week of decline. Less than two months ago, Kootenai County's positivity rate was 40%.
The Panhandle Health District's positivity rate was 2.3% based on 1,500 PCR tests, the lowest since June 13, 2020 when it was 1.3%.
The state's positivity rate was 2.5% based on 18,751 PCR tests. That's the lowest in the two years the state has tracked positivity rates.
Statewide hospitalizations were down to 104 on Thursday, the lowest since mid-July.
Deaths attributed to the virus are also down.
In the past months, 35 COVID-related deaths were reported in the PHD.
In comparison, from. Oct. 17 to Nov. 17, there were 139 COVID-related deaths reported in the PHD.
State health officials say they like the downward trend but say there could be a COVID-19 surge, so they remain "cautiously optimistic."
ARTICLES BY BILL BULEY
Teen remembered for love of school buses
Bay Shore Systems in Rathdrum helped with renovation project
Schluter ahead of his time with Monday Night Dinner
Hagadone Communications honors longtime employees
Hagadone Communications honors longtime employees
Employees came from several divisions: Blue 541; Bonner County Daily Bee, The Coeur d'Alene/Post Falls Press, Columbia Basin Publishing; Hagadone Hawaii, Hagadone Media and Creative, Quicksilver Studios and Hagadone Montana Publishing.