Idaho Reports

This week, Idaho reached 188,788 COVID-19 cases and 2,061 related deaths statewide. New cases continue to fall, with the statewide daily 7-day moving average case rate of 8.8 dropping below 10 new cases per 100,000 people for the first time in nearly a year. The state’s test positivity rate, or percentage of tests that come back positive, remained roughly the same at 4.3 percent. The counties with...

A school shooting in eastern Idaho puts the debate over arming teachers and staff into sharp focus. Plus, property taxes, public school and higher education budgets, and another swing at the governor’s executive powers. This week, Rebecca Boone of the Associated Press and Betsy Russell of the Idaho Press discuss the legislature’s slow approach to adjournment sine die. Devin Bodkin and Kevin Richer...

The COVID-19 case rate has dropped in nearly every part of the state, with all of Idaho’s 44 counties now boasting a 7-day rolling average case rate below 20 cases per one hundred thousand people. Last week, 4.3 percent of COVID tests performed in Idaho came back positive. That’s the lowest positivity rate Idaho has seen since June. But variants continue to spread, and the UK variant continues to...

This week, Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News, Betsy Russell of the Idaho Press, and Ruth Brown of Idaho Reports discuss this week’s ethics hearing and the resignation of Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger. Plus, education budgets and the threat of a partial government shutdown.

New COVID-19 cases continue to drop in Idaho, with the seven day rolling average case rate falling below 25 cases per 100,000 people in all of Idaho’s 44 counties for the first time in several months. The state’s test positivity rate, or percentage of COVID tests that come back positive, remains at 4.7 percent. Hospitalizations and ICU admissions remain steady, hovering between 140 and 160 hospita...

We are now more than one hundred days into the legislative session, with major budget bills still hanging in the balance. After weeks of discussion about critical race theory in Idaho classrooms, are lawmakers any closer to a compromise? This week, Hayat Norimine of the Idaho Statesman, Clark Corbin of the Idaho Capital Sun, and James Dawson of Boise State Public Radio join the pundits to help mak...

Beginning this week, our Idaho Reports Coronavirus Updates are coming to you as weekly reports. Catch up with the latest pandemic news and analysis Friday evenings on air before and after PBS Newshour, on the Idaho Reports blog, and here on the podcast.

On Friday, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 212 new cases and 2 new deaths for a statewide total of 184,769 known cases and 2,017 deaths. State health officials have set a vaccination goal of 80 percent of Idaho’s population by September. Anyone over the age of 16 is currently eligible for a vaccine, and state epidemiologist Dr. Christine Hahn says younger teens should be able t...

On Thursday, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 210 new cases and 9 new deaths, for a statewide total of 184,557 known cases and 2,015 deaths. As of Thursday, 555,330 people in Idaho have received at least one dose of a vaccine, and 389,083 are fully vaccinated. The state has administered 913,106 doses so far. Starting next week, Idaho Reports will transition to bringing you weekl...

This week, the House and Senate continued to have different ideas about an adjournment timeline. On Friday afternoon, Governor Brad Little announced he will veto a pair of bills meant to trim the governor's emergency powers and hand oversight to the legislature. Betsy Russell of the Idaho Press and Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News join to discuss the move and the rest of the week's news.

On Wednesday, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 437 new cases and 6 new deaths for a statewide total of 184,347 known cases and 2,006 deaths. Starting next week, Idaho Reports will transition to weekly COVID-19 updates every Friday rather than daily updates. A bill prohibiting face mask mandates made it out of the Idaho House of Representatives on Wednesday in a 46-23 vote. The b...

On Tuesday, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 219 new cases of coronavirus and 4 new deaths due to COVID-19-related causes. The statewide case count is 183,910 and the death toll hit a grim milestone of 2,000 people dead. Idaho will pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine, after recommendations from the CDC and FDA. The pause allows experts to review an...

On Monday, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 317 new cases and 3 new deaths. That brings the statewide total to 183,691 cases and 1,996 deaths. Eastern Idaho and Wood River Valley have the highest 7-day rolling average case rate, with Madison, Jefferson, Blaine, Bonneville and Caribou Counties all experiencing a high number of cases relative to their populations. In most counties...

On Friday, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 312 new cases of coronavirus and 4 new deaths. That puts the statewide total at 183,153 and the death toll at 1,993. An estimated 102,697 Idahoans have recovered from the disease. As of Friday, the state reports that 518,450 people had received at least one vaccine dose and 345,288 people are fully vaccinated. Idaho’s positivity rate,...

Idaho Senate Assistant Minority Leader Grant Burgoyne sat down with Melissa Davlin on Friday to give his take on end-of-session negotiations, from the future of property tax policy to transportation needs and funding sources, and what the legislature needs to get done before heading home.

On Friday, Idaho Senate President Pro Tem Chuck Winder joined Melissa Davin to talk about end-of-session negotiations between the House and Senate, what additional work the joint budget committee has in front of it, and what we can expect from the Senate on transportation and taxes. After the interview, the Senate passed a bill 25-10 regarding the governor’s emergency powers.

On Thursday, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 310 new cases of coronavirus and 9 new deaths due to COVID-19-related causes. The statewide case count is 182,841 and the death toll is 1,989. Statewide, all people age 16 and older are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination. Your local public health district or covidvaccine.idaho.gov can direct you to an available provider for an app...

The legislature returned from a two and a half week recess on Tuesday, and didn’t waste any time picking up their debates. This week, Senate Assistant Minority Leader Grant Burgoyne gives his take on end-of-session negotiations and the future of property tax policy, and Senate President Pro Tem Chuck Winder updates us on talks between the House and Senate on taxes and budgets.

On Wednesday, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 349 new cases and 6 new deaths due to COVID-19-related causes. The statewide case count is 182,531 and the death toll stands at 1,980. Gov. Brad Little announced the signature of an executive order on Wednesday banning any Idaho governmental entity from requiring so-called “vaccine passports” – or proof that a person has received a...

On Tuesday, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 346 new cases and 2 new deaths. That brings the statewide total to 182,182 cases and 1,974 deaths. Of the 95 variant cases detected in Idaho, four percent have resulted in hospitalizations and one percent in death, according to a Health and Welfare press briefing this afternoon. Epidemiologists said they think the UK and California va...

On Monday, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 337 new cases and 4 new deaths. That brings the statewide total to 181,836 cases and 1,972 deaths. More than 484,000 Idahoans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, with nearly 312,000 Idahoans fully vaccinated. Eastern Idaho continues to have the highest case rates in the state, with Madison, Clark, Bonneville and Jefferson c...

On Friday, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 284 new cases and 3 new deaths. That brings the statewide total to 181,181 cases and 1,966 deaths. Starting Monday, all Idahoans over 16 are eligible for the COVID vaccine, though health districts have removed restrictions earlier. You can pre-register and get a call back for appointment at covidvaccine.idaho.gov Crush the Curve Idaho...

When the legislature comes back from its COVID-induced recess on April 6th, there are a number of big issues left to address. One that has prompted a lot of discussion in the legislature and the community is the budget for Idaho’s higher education institutes, after several conservative House members expressed concern and anger over so-called social justice programs and curriculum at Idaho’s public...

On Thursday, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 361 new coronavirus cases and 1 new death. That brings the statewide case count to 180,897 and the death count to 1,963. Eastern Idaho Public Health announced today that they are opening up vaccine eligibility for anyone age 16 and older. That means six of Idaho’s seven public health districts have opened eligibility to the general p...

What's left on the legislature's plate as lawmakers return from their COVID recess next week? A contentious higher ed budget, and lingering questions about property taxes. This week, Sen. Carl Crabtree gives us his take on the higher education debate in the legislature, and Sen. Ali Rabe discusses the housing crisis in Idaho’s most populated areas. Nicole Foy of the Idaho Statesman and Kyle Pfanne...