COVID-19 Update: March 21, 2021

New daily cases continue to be much lower than they were most of last year and this winter, with the statewide rolling average 7-day case rate staying steady at 8.7 new cases per 100,000 people. That’s down from a high of 90 in December. Test positivity is also steady at 4.3 percent. But, a few regions have seen notable upticks in the past week. According to the Coeur d’Alene Press, COVID 19 admissions have doubled at Kootenai Health over the last week. Chief of Staff Robert Skoggins told the Press the hospital suspects the increase is due to a combination of new variants and a low vaccination rate. And on Thursday, KXLY reported Lake City High School in Coeur d’Alene is reinstating its mask mandate after at least 23 students have tested positive since April 26. Vaccination rates in Idaho continue to trail behind national rates. Forty seven percent of Idahoans ages 18 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine, compared to 60 percent nationwide. Those rates vary by region: Central District Health has the highest vaccination rates, while the Southwest, Panhandle and North Central Health Districts have the lowest.