With new daily cases of COVID-19 at their highest numbers since the end of 2020, Idaho health officials have become increasingly concerned with the impact on hospitals and other healthcare facilities around the state.
Crisis standards of care were activated one week ago in the state's two northernmost health districts, Panhandle and North Central -- a standard Idaho Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen has called the "last resort."
After crisis standards were activated September 7 in North Idaho, Jeppesen said other parts of the state, including the Treasure Valley, had a little of what he called wiggle room, "but not much."
Jeppesen will give opening remarks at an Idaho Department of Health and Welfare media briefing scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. Also attending will be Division of Public Health Administrator Elke Shaw-Tulloch, state epidemiologist Dr. Christine Hahn, deputy state epidemiologist Dr. Kathryn Turner, state physician Dr. Marcia Witte, Idaho Bureau of Laboratories chief Dr. Christopher Ball, and Idaho Immunization Program manager Sarah Leeds.
The briefing will be livestreamed on KTVB.COM and the KTVB YouTube channel.
Tuesday's briefing comes the day after Idaho's 14-day moving average for new COVID-19 cases reached 1,084 per day, the highest since December 31, 2020. As the new year arrived, new case numbers were beginning a steady decline. In 2021, the moving average dropped to less than 66 cases per day on July 5 before increasing steadily over the two months that have followed.
In recent weeks, Idaho health officials have said the delta variant is driving the spread of COVID-19, mostly among people who remain unvaccinated.
A little more than half of eligible Idaho residents have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19. That population includes adults and children over the age of 12 years old.
More news and information about COVID-19 in Idaho: [ Ссылка ]
