Coronavirus update: Nampa ICU patient recovers from COVID-19 after 2 weeks on ventilator
A sign hung on Chris Water’s walker that announced her victory: “Me: 1, COVID-19: 0.”
Waters, the first COVID-19 patient to be admitted to the St. Luke’s Nampa medical center and its intensive care unit, left the hospital Friday.
The 66-year-old was admitted on March 26 and had to be intubated and put on a ventilator. Two weeks later, Waters’ breathing tube was removed.
To celebrate her recovery, St. Luke’s workers lined the hallway as Waters left the ICU on Friday, according to a news release from St. Luke’s.
“These nurses and staff knew how to balance their compassion with their profession,” Waters said in the release. “I’m sure I wouldn’t be here without them.”
Now that she’s home, Waters said she plans on hanging the sign in a window for all to see.
No new COVID-19 cases reported Monday morning
After only a handful of new cases were reported in Idaho on Sunday, no new cases of the coronavirus were reported Monday morning.
Idaho has confirmed community spread in 13 counties: Ada, Bingham, Blaine, Bonneville, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Jefferson, Kootenai, Madison, Payette, Teton and Twin Falls.
Cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in 32 of Idaho’s 44 counties: Ada 517, Adams 1, Bannock 5, Bingham 2, Blaine 454, Bonner 4, Bonneville 14, Camas 1, Canyon 155, Caribou 1, Cassia 8, Custer 2, Elmore 16, Fremont 2, Gem 9, Gooding 5, Idaho 3, Jefferson 4, Jerome 29, Kootenai 45, Latah 3, Lincoln 15, Madison 5, Minidoka 5, Nez Perce 19, Owyhee 4, Payette 8, Power 2, Teton 6, Twin Falls 79, Valley 2 and Washington 1.
In Idaho, 27 people have died of COVID-19, bringing the state’s fatality rate for the virus to 1.89%.
Labor department moving call times to process unemployment claims faster
In an effort to process more unemployment claims, the Idaho Department of Labor is changing its phone schedule.
Between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., the department will accept incoming calls. The hours of 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. will be reserved for processing claims. The timing change is said to improve wait times on claims by allowing staffers to return calls to settle any issues that could prevent payment, according to a news release Monday.
“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 Department Director Jani Revier in the news release.
The agency is asking anyone who recently filed an unemployment claim to be available from 4-6 p.m. if a claims specialist calls.
Over the past three weeks, the Department of Labor has issued 60,603 payments totaling $17.95 million to 30,546 Idaho residents, according to the news release.
For more information, please go to idahoatwork.com.
Boise restaurants, Ronald McDonald House raise money to feed families
Fork and Alavita, two downtown Boise restaurants with the same owners, announced they are partnering with the Idaho Ronald McDonald House to feed families with a child in neonatal intensive care or pediatric units at hospitals.
Because of the possibility of spreading the coronavirus, the Ronald McDonald House is no longer using volunteers, but the need to feed families still remains.
Fork and Alavita have stepped in to prepare and deliver meals, and for each meal they deliver they will donate 10% of the proceeds to benefit those in need, according to a GoFundMe page managed by Cameron and Amanda Lumsden, owners of the restaurants.
Donations made to the page will go into the same fund of proceeds from the restaurants.
You can also help the Ronald McDonald House by donating to its fundraiser to provide groceries, cleaning supplies and meals to families in need.
Go to rmhcidaho.org to learn more.
CCDC waives monthly parking fee for April
Commissioners from the Capital City Development Corp., Boise’s urban renewal arm, which operates several downtown parking garages, approved a plan to waive April parking fees for those with monthly passes to the agency’s garages. Fewer people are commuting downtown as people work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning fewer people are using their passes.
The commissioners, including Mayor Lauren McLean and former Mayor David Bieter, also approved potentially waiving May parking fees as well, at the discretion of CCDC Executive Director John Brunelle.
“The staff felt ... that it was important to provide this financial relief,” Brunelle told the commissioners during their Monday meeting. “It’s one thing we can do to help.”
There are more than 2,300 monthly stalls in CCDC garages, which are located at Capitol and Main, 9th and Main, 10th and Front, 9th and Front, Capitol and Myrtle, and 11th and Front streets. Passes range from $100 to $175 monthly.
The board also suspended discussion on potentially raising rates, moving it until “at least the 2021 fiscal year,” which begins Oct. 1.
This story was originally published April 13, 2020 at 2:34 PM.
