See misleading ads for COVID-19 cures? The Idaho attorney general wants to hear from you
The Idaho Attorney General’s Office is warning residents against falling for health products that pass themselves off as cures for the coronavirus and COVID-19.
In a news release Monday, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden said Idahoans should be cautious online, where some sellers have falsely claimed products such as colloidal silver and essential oils can prevent you from being infected with COVID-19.
“My office has contacted several sellers in the past eight months about their deceptive and unsubstantiated health claims,” Wasden said in the news release. “Ads for fake coronavirus cures are particularly troubling and should be reported to my office.”
If you or someone you know loses money to a business misleading its customers over the coronavirus, complaints can be filed with the AG’s Consumer Protection Division.
Complaints can also be filed through the Federal Trade Commission, which recently launched a new website to report fraud, scams or bad business practices.
Go to www.ag.idaho.gov/consumer-protection/ for more information or to file a complaint to Idaho state officials.
Minidoka schools close for two weeks to sanitize classrooms
The Minidoka County School District announced Friday that it will not have classes for the next two weeks, as the district will close buildings to sanitize classrooms.
In a letter on the district’s website, Superintendent James Ramsey wrote that the board made the decision during its meeting Thursday.
Students will return to class on Monday, Nov. 9, and have a four-day school schedule for the rest of the school year.
During the second week of the break, staff and faculty will go back into buildings to prepare for the rest of the semester, according to KMVT News in Twin Falls.
Ramsey wrote that the district is in an ever-changing environment and must prepare for the challenges of educating its students.
“The district and community will continue to work together in this effort. We appreciate your support in this effort,” Ramsey wrote.
Elmore County schools in the red zone
Central District Health announced Monday that Elmore County school districts are now in the “red” zone, meaning there is a high risk for coronavirus transmission. The county now has a case rate of 26.22, according to CDH.
That includes Glenns Ferry School District and Mountain Home School District. This means the health district recommends minimal use of school buildings and limited in-person instruction. The decision on whether to close schools is ultimately left with the local school boards and trustees.
Ada County school districts, including Boise, West Ada and Kuna, are all still in the red zone as well. Those districts are continuing with some in-person instruction.
Snake River Correctional Institution
The Snake River Correctional Institution, in Ontario, Oregon, has now led to as many as 95 coronavirus cases in Idaho, according to Southwest District Health. Last week, only 50 Idaho cases had been tied to the prison.
The prison houses about 3,000 people, making it Oregon’s largest, and it employs 870 staff members. Of those staffers, about 71 percent of them live in Idaho. The prison is less than 10 miles from the Oregon-Idaho state line.
Of the 95 cases tied to SRCI, Katrina Williams of Southwest District Health says 50 are people living in Payette County and 34 in Canyon County. Nine people are from Washington County, one is from Gem County and one is from Owyhee County.
These are cases reported between June 19 and Oct. 21 in Southwest District Health.
Idaho adds nearly 500 confirmed cases Sunday
Idaho health officials added 615 new coronavirus cases to the state’s totals on Sunday — consisting of 491 confirmed and 124 probable.
Despite the case count being lower than on previous days — which is not unusual on Sundays — Idaho’s seven-day moving average for new daily cases grew once more, as it is now 889.14.
No new deaths were reported Sunday, so Idaho’s coronavirus death count remained at 569.
Ada County reported the most cases Sunday, adding 101 to make its total 14,429 cases.
Multiple Idaho counties reported double-digit counts Sunday, including Madison (77 new), Twin Falls (63), Kootenai (49), Canyon (42), Bonneville (24) and Lincoln (20).
Idaho has 52,342 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 respiratory disease. According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, there are 7,082 probable cases of the virus in Idaho.
The department estimates that 28,056 Idahoans have recovered from the virus. As of Friday, 370,741 people have been tested for the coronavirus in Idaho, with about 14% of those tests returning positive.
All Idaho counties except Adams have reports of community spread.
Coronavirus cases have been confirmed in all of Idaho’s 44 counties: Ada 14,429, Adams 46, Bannock 1,672, Bear Lake 66, Benewah 167, Bingham 1,233, Blaine 820, Boise 61, Bonner 427, Bonneville 3,470, Boundary 67, Butte 81, Camas 34, Canyon 9,102, Caribou 199, Cassia 1,228, Clark 33, Clearwater 114, Custer 84, Elmore 374, Franklin 287, Fremont 430, Gem 365, Gooding 438, Idaho 324, Jefferson 780, Jerome 920, Kootenai 3,759, Latah 858, Lemhi 177, Lewis 72, Lincoln 157, Madison 2,188, Minidoka 1,067, Nez Perce 708, Oneida 45, Owyhee 353, Payette 967, Power 308, Shoshone 258, Teton 256, Twin Falls 3,410, Valley 106, Washington 402.
This story was originally published October 26, 2020 at 12:09 PM.
