Portneuf Medical Center sees rise in COVID-19 cases

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - COVID-19 cases are on the rise across the country and have continued to increase in Southeast Idaho.

Portneuf Medical Center CEO Jordan Herget says they are currently sitting at around 17 COVID-19 inpatients, a 400% increase from a month ago.

Our case rate for this region is about where it was five or six months ago," Herget said.

A big reason for the significant increase is the vaccination rate for the region, which according to Southeastern Idaho Public Health, stands at below 50% for their eight county region.

"What we're seeing is over 90% of our hospitalized COVID patients are unvaccinated," Herget said. "So, we're really encouraging everyone to get vaccinated.

Herget believes the main objective is to get the majority of the community vaccinated to limit the spread of the virus.

"The more people get vaccinated, the better chance you have of not contracting COVID-19, or having a less severe illness," Herget said.

For more information on how to schedule your vaccination appointment, visit SIPH's website. You can find locations that offer the COVID-19 vaccine here.