Hospitals throughout the state continue to see record-breaking numbers of COVID-19 patients, many of whom are ending up in the intensive care units. Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene has converted a classroom to a patient care space, and could request the state to declare crisis standards of care within the next few days.

Crisis standards of care are declared by the state only when a region’s healthcare system is depleted to the point where it cannot transfer patients elsewhere, nor can it provide healthcare services at a normal level. Other hospitals throughout Idaho say they may hit that point in the next couple of weeks.

Nearly every ICU patient in Idaho is unvaccinated. Statewide, just 0.4 percent of vaccinated people have reported breakthrough cases, according to data from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

Currently, the highest seven-day rolling average case rates are in north central Idaho and Magic Valley. The statewide test positivity rate has risen to 13.2 percent, the highest it’s been since January.

If you missed our live Idaho Reports special on the state’s hospital crisis, you can catch it online at www.idahoptv.org/idahoreports. Our next special airs Thursday, September 9th at 8pm on Idaho Public Television.

In this Idaho Reports special, we bring you the latest on the statewide hospital crisis caused by the recent surge in COVID-19 cases. We are joined by healthcare representatives from across Idaho, so no matter where you’re listening, you’ll find out what’s happening in your part of the state.

The Idaho Supreme Court issued an opinion Monday ruling that a bill passed by the Idaho Legislature on voter ballot initiatives is unconstitutional. The high court found that initiatives and referenda are fundamental rights under the Idaho Constitution, and that the new law was a grave infringement on those rights. Betsy Russell of the Idaho Press joins Ruth Brown to break down the history and unique aspects of the decision.

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare officials warned this week that hospitals are close to being overwhelmed by this current COVID-19 surge, which could lead to rationing of health care. To be clear, that could affect everyone seeking medical care in Idaho, not just those with COVID-19. The Division of Public Health warns Idaho is on track to see as many as 30,000 new cases a week by mid-October.

Officials say the surge is being driven by unvaccinated Idahoans. Almost every single Idahoan in the ICU because of COVID-19 is unvaccinated. Unvaccinated Idahoans make up more than 98 percent of new cases across the state. Public health officials are imploring Idahoans to get vaccinated.

The highest case rates in the state right now are in north central Idaho, in Lewis, Idaho, Clearwater, and Nez Perce Counties. The statewide test positivity rate is up to 12.8 percent.

Idaho Reports is airing a live special on the state’s hospital crisis, Thursday night at 8 pm on Idaho Public Television. Tune in to hear the latest on the status of the state’s healthcare systems, and get some answers to questions about COVID-19 vaccines.

This week, Ruth Brown is joined by Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen and Administrative Director of Idaho Courts Sara Omundson. They discuss recent recommendations made by the Idaho Behavioral Health Council, existing needs in the state behavioral health system, and what it will take to implement the recommendations moving forward.

The current COVID-19 surge has, once again, stressed the state’s hospital system. Two of Idaho’s major hospitals, St. Luke’s in southern Idaho and Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene, have postponed non-emergency elective procedures that require overnight stays, and have reassigned nurses to help care for critically ill patients.

COVID-19 ICU admissions are now at the same levels they were in November, and Dr. Jim Souza of St. Luke’s said this surge has the potential to be worse than what the state experienced in December, when Idaho came close to having to activate crisis standards of care.

On Thursday, Gov. Brad Little implored Idahoans to get vaccinated to ease the strain on hospitals and to help ensure an uninterrupted school year for Idaho students.

Since May 15, there have been 13 times as many COVID-19 hospitalizations and ten times as many deaths among unvaccinated people as there were in vaccinated people.

The statewide positivity rate has risen to 12.8 percent, and the highest case rates were reported in Clearwater, Nez Perce, Twin Falls, Shoshone and Kootenai counties.

Heat, drought and population growth have dominated Idaho headlines this summer.

This week, the director of Boise State University's Lab for Ecohydrological Applications and Forecasting (LEAF) Dr. Alejandro "Lejo" Flores joined Melissa Davlin to discuss water's role at the intersection of those topics, ranging from agriculture, housing and land use planning to the future of climate in Idaho.

Learn more about LEAF at http://leaf.boisestate.edu

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced this week that the Delta variant of COVID-19 is now the most prominent variant in Idaho. Delta is nearly twice as transmissible as the original virus.

Primary Health Medical Group reported a test positivity rate of 20% while Saint Alphonsus reported a test positivity rate of 17% on Wednesday. The state’s goal was to be below 5%.

With the rise of Delta infections in Idaho, experts say childhood coronavirus infections have substantially increased in the state.

Children ages 0 to 4 have seen a 200% increase in the number of infections over the last two weeks.

There is not yet a vaccine approved for children younger than 12, and the CDC recently recommended that schools mandate masks be worn regardless of vaccination status.

The Boise School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday announced masks would be required for students and staff in the next school year, regardless of vaccination status.

Idaho does have COVID-19 vaccine doses widely available and health experts are seeing vaccination rates increase. Idaho just passed the benchmark of 50% of people 12 and older getting at least a first dose.

This week, the House Ethics Committee unanimously found that Rep. Priscilla Giddings behaved in a manner unbecoming of a representative, and voted to recommend she be censured by the House and removed from her post on the Commerce and Human Resources Committee.

Two complaints asserted that Giddings, R-White Bird, acted inappropriately when she disseminated the identity and photo of an individual who reported sexual assault by former Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger, R-Lewiston, then misrepresented her actions to the Ethics Committee while under oath.

Producer Ruth Brown sat down with our reporter Logan Finney to review the hearing, from witness testimony to the recommendation for censure and what it could mean for future legislative sessions.

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Watch the committee discussion and outcome:

https://youtu.be/ulAV0v1Qk80

Read Logan's coverage on the Idaho Reports blog -

1) What to expect in the Giddings ethics hearing:

https://blog.idahoreports.idahoptv.org/2021/07/30/what-to-expect-in-the-giddings-ethics-hearing/

2) Giddings combative as lawmakers question conduct:

https://blog.idahoreports.idahoptv.org/2021/08/02/giddings-combative-as-lawmakers-question-conduct/

3) Committee recommends censure for Giddings ethics violations:

https://blog.idahoreports.idahoptv.org/2021/08/03/committee-recommends-censure-for-giddings-ethics-violations/

The state’s positivity rate has climbed to eight percent, and the number of confirmed cases with the Delta variant is now at 70, which is more than twice what it was last week.

Every one of the state’s public health districts has seen an increase in the percentage of tests coming back positive, with the north central region seeing the highest positivity rate last week at 12.7 percent.

Right now, the counties with the highest incidence rates in the state are Lewis, Adams, Twin Falls, Shoshone, and Boise.

The number of patients admitted to the ICU with COVID-19 has more than doubled since the beginning of July, with hospitals reporting 49 patients statewide as of Monday. That number is still half of what it was during the pandemic’s peak in December, but those numbers are continuing to trend up, not down.

Dr. Steven Nemerson of Saint Alphonsus told KTVB last week that all of the critically ill patients in his facility are unvaccinated. Currently, just 45.8 percent of Idahoans ages 12 and older are fully vaccinated. That’s compared to a national rate of 57.8 percent.