Idaho keeps breaking new coronavirus case records

BOISE, Idaho (AP) _ Idaho has reported five consecutive days of more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases per day, including a record 1,403 new cases on Saturday as the pandemic's surge sweeps the state and the nation.

The Idaho Statesman reports that Idaho's seven-day moving average also reached an all-time high of just over 1,102 cases per day _ an increase of more than 33% since Nov. 1, when it was 824 per day.

The numbers come after a state panel of medical experts asked Republican Gov. Brad Little for a statewide mask mandate last week. Health officials worry that hospitals are running out of space for COVID-19 patients.

At least 683 Idaho residents have died of the coronavirus and there have been more than 72,000 cases, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

The U.S. set another record for the daily number of coronavirus cases Saturday, reporting more than 126,000 positive cases and more than 1,000 deaths, according to the most recent data from Johns Hopkins University. It was the fourth day in a row with new cases surpassing 100,000.

The coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.