COVID-19 Update: October 15, 2021

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is asking Idahoans to answer an anonymous survey about how the pandemic has impacted their life and mental health. The survey is open through Oct. 31 and can be found online at coronavirus.idaho.gov/behavioral-health. Some hospitals in Idaho continue to use crisis standards of care, as unvaccinated COVID-19 patients flood hospital beds. Statewide, on Thursday, there were only 15 open ICU beds for new patients. There have been no pediatric deaths due to COVID-19, as of Thursday, but there have been pediatric hospitalizations and serious illness due to the virus. Case positivity rates have dropped modestly, down to 13.2 percent, but that’s still well above the goal of keeping the rate below 5 percent. State health officials continue to stress that the best way to prevent hospitalization due to COVID-19 is to be vaccinated. Vaccinated people are 4 times less likely than unvaccinated people to contract the virus and if they do, they are 5 times less likely to need hospitalization, according to Central District Health on Thursday. Visit the Idaho Reports blog at idahoptv.org/idahoreports to see our latest updates on COVID-19.