Coronavirus: 2 more Idaho schools plan to reopen, state surpasses 2,000 COVID-19 cases
Two small private schools in Post Falls plan to reopen in the next two weeks.
Immaculate Conception Academy plans to reopen Monday, and St. Dominic School will follow on May 18 for some grades, and then May 25 for all grades, according to plans obtained by the Idaho Statesman through a public records request.
The Panhandle Health District approved the plans for both schools, which teach grades kindergarten through 12. Both schools committed to maintain 6 feet between students in classrooms, sanitize surfaces and open windows regularly to ensure airflow. They also vowed to have rigid schedules for washing or sanitizing students’ hands.
Immaculate Conception will ensure students wash their hands or apply sanitizer four times a day. Students at St. Dominic, which has a sink in each classroom, will wash their hands at 10:05 a.m., 11:10 a.m., 1:05 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. each day. They will also use hand sanitizer at 9:20 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3:55 p.m.
Neither school will require students to attend group masses or events of 50 or more people until allowed to by Idaho’s phased reopening plan. The earliest Idaho could reach that stage, without any setbacks, is June 13.
Nampa Christian reopened to its 730 students at two campuses on Monday, becoming the first school to do so.
Idaho surpasses 2,000 coronavirus cases
Only 14 new cases of coronavirus were reported Thursday, but that was enough to push Idaho past 2,000 cases of the virus, which causes COVID-19 respiratory disease. In total, there were 2,008 confirmed cases in the state as of Friday morning.
In addition to the new cases, the Idaho North Central District also announced the 67th coronavirus-related death in Idaho. Nez Perce County added to its already large fatality count, as a man in his 80s was the latest death. The county has reported 19 coronavirus deaths.
At least eight of those deaths are connected to a Lewiston long-term-care facility, Life Care Center. The facility told the Idaho Statesman that 17 of its residents have died since March 25.
New cases were reported in Ada, Canyon and Gooding counties, among others. The county with the most new cases Thursday was Twin Falls, which added six to bring its total to 199.
Coronavirus cases have been reported in 33 of Idaho’s 44 counties: Ada 680, Adams 3, Bannock 8, Bingham 4, Blaine 489, Bonner 4, Bonneville 17, Camas 1, Canyon 251, Caribou 1, Cassia 13, Custer 2, Elmore 30, Fremont 2, Gem 11, Gooding 14, Idaho 3, Jefferson 4, Jerome 55, Kootenai 62, Latah 5, Lemhi 1, Lincoln 27, Madison 9, Minidoka 8, Nez Perce 69, Owyhee 8, Payette 14, Power 2, Teton 9, Twin Falls 199, Valley 2 and Washington 1.
Community spread has been detected in 13 Idaho counties: Ada, Bannock, Bingham, Blaine, Bonneville, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Jefferson, Jerome, Kootenai, Lemhi, Owyhee, Madison, Payette, Teton and Twin Falls.
This story was originally published May 8, 2020 at 10:59 AM.
