Daily average climbs as Idaho enters Stage 3 of reopening plan

BOISE — Idaho announced 41 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday. It is the third straight day the state has reported 30 or more cases for a single date, which had not happened since a streak of five consecutive days of 30 or more April 6-10.

The Gem State moved into Stage 3 of its reopening process on Saturday despite an average of 34.3 new cases per day over the past three days (30 cases on Wednesday, 32 on Thursday and 41 on Friday). The average per day for Stages 1 and 2 was 24.7 and 28.8 cases, respectively.

Stage 3 allows for the reopening of venues such as bars and movie theaters, as well as gatherings of up to 50 people.

“Although Idaho is reopening, we will continue to see outbreaks until there is a vaccine or proven therapeutic interventions. Our battle with COVID-19 is not over,” Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen wrote in a blog post released Friday.

“There may be outbreaks in families, in companies and businesses, and even in health care facilities. The virus is still with us, and it will be with us for the foreseeable future.”

Idaho’s seven health districts reported cases Friday across 10 counties. The statewide total of confirmed cases stands at 2,566 with 82 coronavirus-related deaths.

Additional cases were added in Ada (4 new, 755 total), Bonner (2 new, 6 total), Bonneville (4 new, 27 total), Canyon (5 new, 276 total), Cassia (6 new, 61 total), Gooding (1 new, 40 total), Jerome (6 new, 144 total), Minidoka (4 new, 44 total), Twin Falls (6 new, 349 total) and Washington (3 new, 36 total) counties.

There are 252 “probable cases” throughout the state, an increase of two from Thursday. Health and Welfare reports that 2,225 cases are “presumed recovered.”