COVID-19 Update: November 19, 2021

This week, the Idaho Legislature attempted to pass several bills regarding vaccine mandates and masking requirements, but all failed to pass the Senate. Extensive misinformation was shared in the statehouse this week, but the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare continues to provide accurate information on the state’s current health crisis at coronavirus.idaho.gov. The statewide test positivity rate dropped to 7.2%, down from 9% last week. That’s still above the state’s goal of keeping the rate below 5%. But some counties, such as Madison County, still report test positivity rates as high as 14.3%. As of Thursday, 10,056 children between the ages of 5 and 11 in Idaho have received their first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Idaho’s vaccination rates continue to lag behind national numbers. Nationwide, 81.7 percent of adults ages 18 and older have received at least one dose. In Idaho, that number is just 64.5 percent. Visit the Idaho Reports blog for the latest information on how Idaho plans to address President Biden’s recent vaccination and testing executive orders.