BONNER COUNTY, Idaho — A letter that falsely identifies the sender as the Panhandle Health District in North Idaho spread misinformation about coronavirus in Bonner County.
The letter dated April 1, 2020, falsely states that Panhandle Health officials recognized a potential case of COVID-19 at an extended care facility in the county and that staff had been notified.
The individual who wrote the letter used Panhandle Health’s letterhead at the top.
Panhandle Health spokesperson Katherine Hoyer confirmed on Monday that facility targeted was Life Care Center in Sandpoint. The Life Care Center location in Kirkland, Washington, is thought to be the epicenter of the outbreak in Washington state.
“This [the fake letter] was brought to our attention through our call center. The caller was curious if the letter was valid so they called to check,” Hoyer wrote to KREM on Monday.
The letter also falsely claimed that all staff and their family members had been asked to self-quarantine for 10 to 14 days. It added that quarantine was precautionary pending the outcome of the patient’s test results.
The Bonner County Daily Bee reports that Capt. Tim Hemphill of the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office said his department is investigating the matter.
As of Monday, there are ten deaths among 1,143 coronavirus cases in Idaho. Forty-four cases are in North Idaho, with 42 in Kootenai County and two in Bonner County.
Health officials have not reported any cases of coronavirus at nursing homes in North Idaho.
There has been one reported case of coronavirus at a Cheney nursing home and another at a Spokane Valley retirement community since the start of the outbreak.
