Idaho long-term care facility says at least 8 of its residents have died from coronavirus
Two additional coronavirus-related deaths were announced in Nez Perce County on Thursday for a total of 18 in the county, according to Idaho North Central District’s website.
Life Care Center of Lewiston told the Idaho Statesman on Thursday that 17 of its residents have died since the coronavirus was discovered at the facility March 25. Eight of those people tested positive, according to the facility’s statement. The state also counts deaths where COVID-19 or the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) were listed on death certificates in the death toll.
Life Care has had 34 residents and 14 staff members test positive for COVID-19, according to the statement — 48 positives in a county with just 51 confirmed cases. The Life Care resident population has been reduced from 75 on March 25 to 53 as of Thursday.
“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of the residents who have passed away,” the Life Care Center statement reads. “Our facility is a family, and we’re all working together to take care of our residents and each other. We remain committed to providing quality care as we fight COVID-19.”
Life Care Center said it tested all of its residents to “understand the spread of the virus.” Fourteen of the 34 residents who tested positive have “recovered” based on CDC guidelines or new tests, the facility said. There were 29 residents who tested negative, and nine employees who are still out sick.
The two latest deaths in Nez Perce County were women in their 80s. The county’s deaths have included 14 women and four men, with eight in their 80s, eight in their 90s, one in the 70s and one over 100.
Nez Perce County’s 18 deaths are the most in the state. Ada County has reported 16 deaths and Twin Falls has 11. Idaho Health and Welfare and Southwest District Health reported a seventh death in Canyon County on Thursday, which increases the statewide death toll from coronavirus to 63.
Idaho has community spread in 17 counties: Ada, Bannock, Bingham, Blaine, Bonneville, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Jefferson, Jerome, Kootenai, Lemhi, Owyhee, Madison, Payette, Teton and Twin Falls.
At a press conference Thursday, Gov. Brad Little incorrectly said that District Two — Idaho North Central health district — had community spread. He later corrected himself in a tweet.
“Community spread has not occurred in public health district 2 (north central Idaho) as I stated earlier today. I apologize for the confusion,” Little wrote.
The statewide number of confirmed coronavirus cases stands at 1,864. There also are 155 “probable cases” throughout the state, an increase of two cases from Wednesday. Health and Welfare reports that 1,175 of those cases are “presumed recovered.”
New confirmed cases were added Thursday in Ada (11 new, 642 total), Canyon (4 new, 238 total), Cassia (1 new, 13 total), Gem (1 new, 11 total), Gooding (1 new, 10 total), Jerome (3 new, 44 total), Kootenai (1 new, 62 total), Madison (1 new, 7 total) and Twin Falls (9 new, 151 total) counties. A case was removed from Blaine County, resulting in 31 new cases statewide.
Health and Welfare reports that there have been 178 hospitalizations due to the coronavirus, 75 admissions to the ICU and 254 health care workers who have been infected. The hospital and health care numbers are based on cases with completed investigations into contacts, not the full number of positives.
At the end of the day Thursday, Health and Welfare reported that 29,070 tests had been completed statewide. About 6.4% have been positive for COVID-19.
Cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in 33 of Idaho’s 44 counties: Ada 642, Adams 3, Bannock 7, Bingham 4, Blaine 487, Bonner 4, Bonneville 17, Camas 1, Canyon 238, Caribou 1, Cassia 13, Custer 2, Elmore 27, Fremont 2, Gem 11, Gooding 10, Idaho 3, Jefferson 4, Jerome 44, Kootenai 62, Latah 5, Lemhi 1, Lincoln 24, Madison 7, Minidoka 8, Nez Perce 51, Owyhee 8, Payette 14, Power 2, Teton 8, Twin Falls 151, Valley 2 and Washington 1.
Idaho Statesman Assistant Editor Chadd Cripe contributed to this report.
