BOISE, Idaho — The number of Idaho residents collecting unemployment dropped for the 22nd consecutive week as the state’s reopened economy continues recovering, while at the same time coronavirus pandemic deaths hit 500.

The Idaho Department of Labor said Thursday that the number of people requesting unemployment dropped 8% from the previous week to 9,144. That’s down from more than 70,000 continuing claims in late April when Republican Gov. Brad Little began reopening the state following his month-long stay-at-home order.

Virus infections and deaths have climbed over those same months. Johns Hopkins University reports that through Wednesday, Idaho had more than 45,000 infections and 500 deaths.