COVID-19 Update: November 12, 2021

This week, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare officials confirmed the first pediatric death from COVID-19 in Idaho. The infant lived in southwest Idaho, was younger than a year old, and passed away in October. The department didn’t release any other details to protect the family’s privacy. The news comes as COVID cases and hospitalizations are dropping statewide, with ICU admissions now at levels Idaho hasn’t seen since August. Those numbers are still higher than officials would like to see, but they’re trending in the right direction. Currently, the counties with the highest 7-day rolling average case rates are Benewah, Bonneville, Madison, Lewis, and Bonner counties. As of Friday, 4,701 children between the ages of 5 and 11 have received their first dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine. Idaho’s vaccination rates continue to lag behind national numbers. Nationwide, 80 percent of adults ages 18 and older have received at least one dose. In Idaho, that number is just 64 percent.