According to data out of the Gem State, all metrics of the disease are beginning to look dire. “Their case numbers are up 1,366 percent since June 15,” Jha tweeted. But those aren’t the only figures to skyrocket in Idaho in the past month: The state’s positive test rate, which was 3.4 percent just over 30 days ago, is now five times higher, jumping to 18.3 percent; hospitalizations are up 780 percent since June 15 (from 24 to 188); and the death rate has quadrupled from one death every other day to 2.5 deaths daily now. Jha also stressed that focusing solely on controlling outbreaks in large population hubs could spell a larger disaster for many smaller communities. There are “very concerning rises in rural America, which has far less hospital capacity,” he tweeted. The doctor argued that getting situations in states like Idaho under control is vital to the U.S. truly beating the disease. “For a while, some folks argued COVID was a disease of dense areas (i.e. cities),” he wrote. “Turns out, it’s a disease of humanity.“ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb He concluded: “We have to help states like ID get this under control.” RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. The situation in Idaho wasn’t always as bleak as it now is. As one of the few states that reported a successful decline of initial cases, businesses were reopened relatively early in June. But then, the state quickly witnessed a spike in outbreaks tied to crowded bars and supermarkets, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Now, local officials are at odds with medical experts, who share Jha’s fears that hospitals in Idaho will soon be overrun if numbers aren’t brought back under control. “Our modeling shows week after week increases,” Chris Roth, CEO of St. Luke’s Medical System in Idaho, told the AP in early July. “There’s nothing that we’ve been able to determine is going to change the trajectory at this point, given the collective behaviors of the community.” And for more states to worry about, check out 11 States Where Locking Down Again Is Absolutely Necessary.
