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Massive Spike In COVID-19 Expected In Idaho This Fall

Courtesy of State of Idaho

Idaho health officials are bracing for increased Covid cases by fall.

They say the numbers will be as bad, or worse as previous surges.Dr. Kathryn Turner of the Idaho Division of Public Health reported Tuesday that new projections indicate the state could see 30,000 new Covid cases a week by October.

“This is beyond what we saw last winter when our cases peaked in December. Along with that we're also expecting to see an increase in the number of hospitalizations, and that could be as high as 2,500 in a single week," she said.

 

Officials say they are seeing staff shortages at many hospitals throughout the state.

“I can tell you that one hospital in northern Idaho told us they have 500 open positions at this point in time. They normally have 200 positions open. And they are not a hospital requiring vaccinations or anything like that," said Dr. Elke Shaw-Tulloch from the state Department of Health and Welfare.

Shaw-Tulloch would not identify the hospital. She says, overall, many health workers are becoming burned out because the stress rate is so high.

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