Coronavirus case numbers remain low but they’re ticking upward – Idaho EdNews

The numbers remain low especially compared to the winter but child coronavirus cases increased last week.

The state reported 103 new coronavirus cases involving 5- to 17-year-olds.

The previous week, this number was 44.

However, at late Januarys peak of the omicron variant outbreak, weekly cases involving school-age children reached nearly 3,000. In late September, during the delta variant outbreak, child cases crested at about 1,500 per week.

Current numbers are mixed in the states three largest school districts:

Idahos overall coronavirus cases also crept upward last week.

The state counted 1,049 new cases last week, up from 806 the preceding week.

Again, this is a modest increase; weekly cases peaked at close to 20,000 during Januarys omicron surge.

Another key metric is heading in the wrong direction. For the week ending May 7, 5% of coronavirus tests came back positive, up from 3.2%. The 5% number is a tipping point; a rate above that threshold suggests an outbreak is out of control.

Hospitalizations remain stable, however.

On Wednesday, the state reported 44 COVID-19 hospitalizations and eight ICU admissions, consistent with recent numbers. No pediatric patients were hospitalized with COVID-19.

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on KIVI 6 On Your Side; "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television; and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [emailprotected]

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Coronavirus case numbers remain low but they're ticking upward - Idaho EdNews