COVID-19 Update: March 28, 2021

The statewide incidence rate continues to drop, with the moving 7-day average incidence rate hitting 7.5 cases per 100,000 people. The highest incidence rates in the state are in north and north-central Idaho with Lewis, Clearwater, Shoshone, Kootenai and Idaho counties at the top of the list. The state’s test positivity rate, or percentage of tests that come back positive, rose slightly to 5 percent after weeks of hovering under 4.5 percent. Variants have now been detected in 26 of Idaho’s 44 counties, with the UK variant the most prevalent. As of Friday, 590,772 Idahoans have been fully vaccinated with 1,220,941 doses administered in the state. Vaccination rates continue to vary widely by county, with 69 percent of Blaine County residents ages 12 and older fully vaccinated, and just 23 percent of Owyhee County residents. On Thursday, while serving as acting governor, Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin issued an executive order that would have banned local government entities, including public schools, from imposing mask mandates. Gov. Brad Little reversed that order almost immediately upon his return to the state. Some Idaho school districts still have mask mandates for students; Check with your local district for information.