Coronavirus update: Ada County has 30 new cases, and Idaho now has 9 deaths
Amid the state’s stay-home order, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed 500 and the death toll grew to nine people on Tuesday in Idaho.
Nez Perce County reported a second death in the county resulting from the coronavirus, according to Idaho North Central District Health. The county has seen nine residents test positive for the virus.
Tara Macke, the district’s public information officer, said the most recent death was a person over the age of 80.
Central District Health reported a growing number of cases in Ada County in a press release, going from 163 on Monday to 193 confirmed cases Tuesday.
South Central Public Health District reported Tuesday morning that it identified 39 new cases of coronavirus in Blaine County, bringing the county’s count up to 187 patients. Jerome and Lincoln counties also have one new case apiece, so there are now two cases in each county.
Kootenai County in the Panhandle Public Health District is reporting 30 positive cases of coronavirus as of Tuesday morning. That’s an increase of one from Monday. Kootenai County has reported community spread in its area.
Southwest District Health confirmed Tuesday the first case of coronavirus in Adams County. The man is said to be in his 60s and is recovering well at home. The source of his transmission is still under investigation, according to the health district.
Bannock and Bingham counties saw cases rise by one, bringing their total confirmed cases to four and two, respectively, according to Southeastern Idaho Public Health.
That brings the that statewide count up to 509 people who’ve tested positive in Idaho.
As of Monday night, the state’s public health districts had confirmed 433 cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, in 26 of Idaho’s 44 counties. Health officials have reported nine deaths in the state connected to COVID-19, in Ada, Canyon, Blaine, Cassia and Nez Perce counties.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhy our case numbers might differ from the state's
The Idaho Statesman is tabulating confirmed coronavirus cases from Idaho’s seven health districts as they’re reported. The health districts report cases on their own schedules — some issue press releases, some simply update totals on their websites. And the reports happen at various times throughout the day.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, meanwhile, updates its statewide numbers once a day at about 5 p.m. Its numbers only include the cases the health districts have reported directly to the department. In some cases, health districts have reported cases publicly but not to the department by the daily deadline.
We break out each day’s new cases by county and provide details on each case when available here.
Boise School District, Boys & Girls Club add to emergency childcare
Boise School District on Tuesday announced it would add to its emergency childcare offerings for the children of first responders, health care workers and essential workers.
The district partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Ada County to offer five emergency “pop up” childcare sites at Boise schools. It will add two more starting April 6: at Hawthorne Elementary School, 2401 West Targee Street; and at Koelsch Elementary School, 2015 North Curtis Road.
Both sites will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. It costs $6 for a full day of care.
For more information on the Hawthorne site, contact Wendy Heidric at 208) 954-5034. For information on the Koelsch site, contact Ben Gangwer at ben@adaclubs.org or (208) 954-5034.
Should you wear a mask?
Early on in the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintained that face masks should be saved for health care providers and the general public did not need to wear them.
But The Washington Post recently reported that the CDC may be changing its guidelines. Officials are “considering altering the official guidance to encourage people to take measures to cover their faces amid the coronavirus pandemic,” according to the Post.
The guidance would clarify that the public should not use certified medical masks. Medical masks include surgical and N95 masks, which health care workers are in short supply of amid the outbreak.
Instead, according to the Post, the guidelines could refer people to using cloth masks that are homemade.
The CDC has not publicly made a statement about the guidelines.
New information on sick health care workers
Through March 30, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported 50.7% of COVID-19 patients are from age 18 to 49, and 48.6% are 50 or older.
Notably, the Idaho department reports that about 25 health care workers have been infected. That includes two Blaine County providers, where the outbreak in Idaho is the worst per capita.
IDHW also reports that 53% of the patients have been female, and 45 people have been hospitalized, with six admissions to the ICU. About 7.5% of tests have been positive.
Note: The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare doesn’t track when patients have recovered from coronavirus, so we can only report the number of positive tests, not the number currently ill.
Labor Department phone lines overloaded with calls
Calls from newly laid-off workers are overwhelming phone systems operated by the Idaho Department of Labor. Most callers are receiving a busy signal and won’t get through.
Workers who need to file for benefits should do so online, while those with questions about unemployment insurance should refer to the agency’s website.
“You do not have to call the department to file a claim,” Jani Revier, the director of the Idaho Department of Labor, said in a statement. “Everything can be done online, and most questions can be answered by reviewing the posted material.”
The jammed phone lines prevent the department’s claim specialists from calling out to resolve issues with individual claims. When the department notifies a claimant there is an issue with their claim, the person needs to wait for an agency claims specialist to call, the agency said.
Answers to questions about unemployment insurance and COVID-19 are in the FAQ section of the labor website at labor.idaho.gov. To make it easier, questions are divided into two categories: regular questions about unemployment insurance and specific questions about COVID-19.
On Friday, Congress agreed to a significant expansion of the nation’s unemployment insurance program. However, it will take time to implement the CAREs Act programs at the state level, Revier said.
“Help is on the way, and we are working to implement the changes as soon as possible,” Revier said. “People need to be patient as we work through the details with our federal partner.”
In the meantime, laid-off workers should go ahead and apply for benefits, even if they are not sure they qualify, she said.
Need support during this stressful time? Call this hotline
The ongoing pandemic has been a high-stress, isolating experience for many people. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration offers a crisis hotline people may call for free who are in need of emotional support.
The Disaster Distress Helpline, 1-800-985-5990, can provide immediate counseling to anyone who is seeking help in coping with the mental or emotional effects caused by the pandemic. The hotline operates 24-7.
“People who have been through a traumatic event can experience anxiety, worry or insomnia,” said Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, the head of SAMHSA, through a news release last week. “People seeking emotional help during an ongoing disaster such as a pandemic can call 1-800-985-5990 or can text ‘TalkWithUs’ to 66746 – and can find recovery and coping strategies.”
This story was originally published March 31, 2020 at 10:42 AM.
