Coronavirus: More Idaho inmates with symptoms, Caldwell closing city buildings
Coronavirus cases at Idaho prisons continue to slowly grow, as a handful of incarcerated people begin to show symptoms of the virus.
On Monday, the Idaho Department of Corrections reported 41 people in its prisons were showing symptoms and tested positive for the virus. The next day, three more cases were added to the total. By Wednesday night, 47 people living in Idaho prisons tested positive and were symptomatic.
The number of those who tested positive but who aren’t showing symptoms decreased this week, according to IDOC’s numbers.
On Tuesday night, IDOC reported there were 641 people in its prisons who tested positive for the coronavirus but were not showing symptoms. When that number was updated Wednesday evening, it shrank by five to 636.
Presumably, those cases would either be added to the symptomatic column or moved to the inactive category, which increased by five on Wednesday. IDOC categorizes a case as inactive when a positive cases is medically cleared based on CDC’s symptom and timeline criteria or when a person is released from IDOC custody, according to its website.
In an update published Wednesday evening, IDOC director Josh Tewalt wrote that no new staffers had tested positive for the virus that day, the “first time in a long time.” As of Wednesday, 68 IDOC staffers from different prisons and Probation and Parole districts had tested positive for COVID-19.
Caldwell to close city buildings starting Monday
Starting July 20, Caldwell city buildings will close to the public but remain operational.
In a news release Wednesday, the city announced the recent uptick in coronavirus cases led officials to the decision to close city buildings. City service departments will remain fully staffed and can be reached by phone or email while buildings are closed.
“Based on rapidly increasing case numbers in Caldwell and Canyon County, city leadership feels it is both prudent and responsible to take the necessary steps to protect the health of our employees and the public, and particularly the most vulnerable members of society,” the news release said.
Caldwell will close city buildings like Caldwell Airport, City Hall, the public library, Caldwell Event Center offices, as well as other municipal service buildings.
The Caldwell Public Library will continue to provide curbside pickup and remote services.
The Caldwell Senior Center, Veteran’s Memorial Hall and the city’s police department will remain open, as well as city golf courses, the municipal pool, parks and playgrounds.
“We must all do our part to help out the community; respect your neighbor, stay home if you are able to and wash your hands often. We strongly encourage wearing a mask in public,” said Mayor Garret Nancolas in the news release.
The release noted that implementing a mask mandate is not being discussed among city officials.
Boise food pantry, thrift store to give out pizzas on Friday
The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry and the SVDP thrift store will give out a whole free pizzas and ice cream to families in need of a meal on Friday, July 17.
The pizzas, made by Idaho Pizza Company, will be given out on a first-come, first serve basis starting at 10 a.m. at one of two locations in Boise — the SVDP Food Pantry at 3209 W Overland Road and the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store at 2160 Broadway Avenue. Cheese and pepperoni pizzas will be available to pick up.
Guild Mortgage, a Meridian company, made the event possible by paying for the pizzas to be given out.
“St. Vincent de Paul of SW Idaho had so much fun giving away the whole pizzas back in June, thanks to our local heroes, Guild Mortgage. It made Friday a fun day again for people who aren’t having it easy right now,” said St. Vincent De Paul SW Idaho executive director Ralph May in a news release. “Who doesn’t love pizza and ice cream, especially on a Friday?”
Unemployment claims numbers increase
The Idaho Department of Labor reported Thursday that claims filed for unemployment insurance benefits totaled 5,458 for the week ending July 11, increasing 11%, or 534 claims, from the prior week.
The four-week moving average also rose 10%, to an average of 5,021 new initial claims per week.
Idaho workers who are laid off have filed 172,942 initial claims for unemployment benefits during the 17 weeks since the COVID-19 state of emergency declaration. That’s 2.9 times the total number of initial claims filed in all of 2019, according to the Department of Labor.
“Continued claims — the number of people who requested a benefit payment — dropped by 6% from the previous week to 28,766, the 10th consecutive week of declines,” according to a news release. “The four-week moving average for continued claims also fell 6% from 32,450 for the week ending July 4 to 30,451 for the week ending July 11.”
The department paid $37.7 million in claims during the week ending July 11, up slightly from $35.7 million for the week ending July 4.
Regular state unemployment benefit payouts were $7.2 million, up from $6.8 million the previous week, but 6.1 times higher than the same week in 2019.
Idaho sees eight deaths on Wednesday, passing previous high
Health officials around Idaho reported eight new coronavirus-related deaths Wednesday, breaking the previous record of six deaths reported in a day on two occasions.
Of those deaths, four were reported in Ada County, raising its total to 29. Three deaths were reported in Canyon County and one death was found to be in Jerome County. The two counties now have 15 and 6 coronavirus deaths reported, respectively.
According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s demographic data on the Wednesday deaths, four people were age 80 or older; two were in their 70s; and one person was in their 60s. Four of the dead were men and three were women.
In total, Idaho now has 111 deaths connected to the coronavirus.
Idaho health officials also reported 585 new cases Wednesday, a new single-day record.
Ada County is nearing two straight weeks of reporting at least 100 new cases per day, as Wednesday was the 13th. The county reported 199 new, confirmed COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing its total to 4,602.
Canyon County recorded the most new cases in the state Wednesday, adding 269 confirmed cases. Its total now sits at 2,457.
Elsewhere in Idaho, new cases were reported Wednesday in counties like Bannock, Bonneville, Gem, Kootenai, Owyhee, Payette, Valley and Washington, among others. Central District Health reduced Boise County’s case count by one, leaving the total at 11.
As of Wednesday, Idaho health officials have reported 11,713 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the state. IDHW reported there are 808 “probable cases” around the state as well.
Coronavirus cases have been reported in the majority of Idaho’s 44 counties: Ada 4,602, Adams 11, Bannock 164, Bear Lake 5, Benewah 22, Bingham 105, Blaine 540, Boise 11, Bonner 87, Bonneville 175, Boundary 8, Camas 1, Canyon 2,457, Caribou 20, Cassia 300, Clearwater 5, Custer 6, Elmore 105, Franklin 30, Fremont 13, Gem 68, Gooding 78, Idaho 13, Jefferson 28, Jerome 282, Kootenai 812, Latah 33, Lemhi 4, Lincoln 37, Madison 63, Minidoka 252, Nez Perce 102, Oneida 8, Owyhee 95, Payette 190, Power 19, Shoshone 14, Teton 35, Twin Falls 759, Valley 28 and Washington 126.
There are 35 Idaho counties that have documented community spread: Ada, Bannock, Benewah, Bingham, Blaine, Bonner, Bonneville, Canyon, Caribou, Cassia, Clearwater, Custer, Elmore, Fremont, Gem, Gooding, Idaho, Jefferson, Jerome, Kootenai, Latah, Lemhi, Lewis, Lincoln, Madison, Minidoka, Nez Perce, Oneida, Owyhee, Payette, Power, Teton, Twin Falls, Valley and Washington.
This story was originally published July 16, 2020 at 9:39 AM.
