SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, continues to spread in Idaho amid a worldwide pandemic.
New confirmed Idaho cases, school closures, building closures and resources to help are announced every day.
We're tracking all the developments with this real-time blog. The newest information will be added at the top with a timestamp.
Key Facts:
- 33 deaths among 1,455 cases in Idaho
- 45 cases in Kootenai County, four in Bonner County
- Local districts may release new cases before the Idaho state COVID-19 website is updated, so numbers may not always match.
Monday, April 13
6:20 p.m.
An employee at a Hayden senior living facility has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
According to Education and Programs Leader Amira Fahoum, an employee at Honeysuckle Senior Living tested positive for the virus. She said the employee's health care provider said the employee likely contracted it outside of the care facility.
The employee is staying at home to recover and two other employees are being tested, according to Fahoum, who also said that no residents are showing signs or symptoms.
Currently, all employees are wearing masks at all times, and all residents are being provided meals inside their apartments and are being asked to limit their time with other residents, according to Falhoum. Employees are also monitoring residents for fever and any signs of respiratory symptoms, she said.
A viewer sent KREM what they say is a copy of the letter sent to employees, residents and their family members, and KREM is working to confirm the authenticity of the letter.
5:12 p.m.
Gov. Brad Little toured the Idaho State Laboratory Monday afternoon. It is one of many public and private labs conducting testing of possible COVID-19 samples.
In an interview released by the governor's office, Little said there has not been enough testing in Idaho due to a lack of necessary supplies, but noted that state officials are leaving "no stone unturned" in an effort to procure supplies needed for testing.
The governor also said he has not yet made a decision on whether to extend Idaho's stay-at-home order, which is set to expire on Wednesday, adding that he is gathering information available from "all of the collective science," before making a decision.
"What we don't want is to have another wave [of coronavirus cases]," he said. "I'm very concerned about the economic impact but if you have another wave, it could be more devastating than the first one and I want people to have confidence that we're doing the right thing. So the decision that we're gonna make in the next couple days is gonna be based on how do we prevent another wave and do the best we can to protect the longterm safety and the economic resilience of the state of Idaho."
Little is scheduled to host a news conference Wednesday at 11 a.m. to provide updates on the stay-at-home order.
North Central Health District is reporting another death in Nez Perce County associated with COVID-19, bringing the county's death toll to 6. The county has had 20 confirmed cases, while the state has had 1435
12 p.m.
The Panhandle Health District (PHD) 49 coronavirus cases and no deaths in the Panhandle area. Forty-five of the cases are in Kootenai County and four in Bonner County.
11:49 a.m. Dept. of Labor adjusting phone times to speed up claims
The Idaho Department of Labor is adjusting its phone times to try to get help fast to hundreds of unemployed Idahoans.
The department will now accept incoming calls from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and reserve the hours of 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. for processing claims. That will free up staff to return calls, resolve issues with payment, and get claims through the system faster.
"Our goal is [to] serve Idahoans as quickly as possible through this difficult time, and adjusting our phone schedule means we can focus on processing claims so Idahoans will receive their benefit payments sooner. This move reduces wait times for phone calls and click to chat interactions," said Labor Director Jani Revier in a release.
The department has also hired an additional 12 claims specialists and reassigned other staff to process claims. Nearly 78,000 people in Idaho have filed claims since mid-March, according to data released Thursday.
5:30 a.m.
The Panhandle Health District is reporting 48 cases of the coronavirus and no deaths. Of those cases, 44 are located in Kootenai County, and 4 are in Bonner County.
