Twin Falls County reports new coronavirus death, requests vigilance for at-risk residents
Twin Falls and Washington counties have seen a sudden rise in confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus.
South Central Public Health District said Twin Falls County added 68 cases between May 4-10, which is the largest case jump in any seven-day period for the county. Meanwhile, Washington County had just one confirmed case as of May 9 and now stands at 20. The recent uptick in Washington County is attributed to an outbreak at Fry Foods in Weiser.
A 14th coronavirus-related death was reported in Twin Falls County on Friday, and the county’s confirmed cases grew to 256, with 54 additional probable cases and 142 cases still being monitored. According to updated demographics on the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare website, the latest death in Twin Falls County is a non-Hispanic white female 80 or older.
“We know people are sick of wearing masks, of postponing get-togethers, and of limiting their visits to stores and other public places, but now is not the time to relax your caution,” Logan Hudson, SCPHD Public Health Division Administrator, said in a press release.
“It’s important that we ease back into normal activity. If we forget the protective habits we’ve worked to build over the last two months and go back to life as normal, we are asking for a surge in cases that may shut down our economy all over again.”
South Central says several of the new cases are residents or staff members in long-term care facilities. As of Thursday, 61 residents of long-term care facilities in the county had confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases.
“The residents in these facilities are some of our most at-risk. The buildings are locked down, but staff members still have to come and go,” Hudson said. “… While we continue to have cases in the county, our friends, family and neighbors who are living in these local facilities are still at risk. You can’t protect these people if you don’t protect the community as a whole.”
Minidoka County, which includes the city of Rupert, became the 18th county in the state with community spread of COVID-19, according to a press release from South Central. “Public Health officials expect more confirmed cases in Minidoka County and urge all residents to assume the virus could be anywhere in the community and surrounding counties,” SCPHD said.
The state’s seven health districts announced a combined 32 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday for a statewide total of 2,190 cases. In addition to the 10 cases in Twin Falls County and seven in Washington County, seven other Idaho counties reported new cases: Ada (8 new, 722 total), Blaine (1 new, 497 total), Bonneville (1 new, 18 total), Canyon (1 new, 257 total), Cassia (1 new, 17 total), Jerome (2 new, 74 total) and Payette (1 new, 17 total).
There are 203 “probable cases” throughout the state, an increase of four from Thursday. Health and Welfare reports that 1,588 cases are “presumed recovered.”
Daily Details
Hospitalizations: Health and Welfare reports that there have been 213 hospitalizations due to the coronavirus, 89 admissions to the ICU and 289 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.
Testing totals: At the end of the day Friday, Health and Welfare reported that 35,485 tests had been completed statewide. About 6.2% have been positive for COVID-19.
Counties with confirmed COVID-19 cases: Ada 722, Adams 3, Bannock 10, Bingham 6, Blaine 497, Bonner 4, Bonneville 18, Camas 1, Canyon 257, Caribou 1, Cassia 17, Custer 2, Elmore 30, Fremont 2, Gem 12, Gooding 19, Idaho 3, Jefferson 5, Jerome 74, Kootenai 64, Latah 5, Lemhi 1, Lincoln 27, Madison 12, Minidoka 12, Nez Perce 70, Owyhee 8, Payette 17, Power 3, Teton 10, Twin Falls 256, Valley 2 and Washington 20.
Counties with community spread: Ada, Bannock, Bingham, Blaine, Bonneville, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Jefferson, Jerome, Kootenai, Lemhi, Owyhee, Madison, Minidoka, Payette, Teton and Twin Falls.
