COVID-19: Idaho juvenile corrections reports coronavirus cases among youth, staff
Like the rest of Idaho during the coronavirus pandemic, the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections has dealt with multiple cases of COVID-19 within its facilities.
Since March, the IDJC has reported 19 coronavirus cases among youth living in its facilities, according to director Monty Prow. Of those cases, 17 were found in the IDJC’s facility in St. Anthony, and two were reported in a reintegration program in the Treasure Valley.
Prow said that 15 people have been medically cleared and have rejoined their program groups. The remaining four have “mild symptoms” and are expected to rejoin their programs soon, according to Prow. There have been 29 positive coronavirus tests among IDJC staff, though most have been medically cleared and have returned to work.
Despite the cases, the daily education, rehabilitation and treatment has continued for the juveniles who tested positive for the coronavirus.
Though the department limits direct contact between families and youth in their facilities due to COVID-19, Prow said IDJC continues to look for opportunities to connect families through phone calls, video and the internet on a more frequent basis.
The department reported in August that a 20-year-old man in a IDJC reintegration program tested positive for the coronavirus, though he was not living in a juvenile corrections facility when the case was found.
Five Canyon County poll workers test positive
Five people working at a Canyon County voting location recently tested positive for the coronavirus, according to county spokesperson Joe Decker.
The workers who tested positive all worked at the O’Connor Field House polling place in Caldwell, one of the county’s locations for early voting.
Three of the workers developed symptoms over the weekend and have not returned to work since, Decker said. Another left work early last Thursday and notified the county of the positive case the following day. The other worked one day early last week and was supposed to work Wednesday, but called in sick Tuesday after testing positive.
Decker said that the voting area will be cleaned Thursday morning prior to its 11 a.m. opening. Voting areas have been cleaned and sanitized between each voter since early voting began.
Canyon County officials are not mandating the wearing of masks or face shields at polling places, but they are strongly recommended, said Decker.
Idaho Public Television — which first reported the confirmed coronavirus cases at the Caldwell voting center — also reported that a positive test among polling workers in Kootenai County resulted in several poll workers having to quarantine.
Saint Alphonsus opens clinic for people with COVID-19
Saint Alphonsus has opened a clinic for those with the coronavirus and those awaiting their test results.
The clinic — which is located at 1880 West Judith Lane in Boise — will be staffed by primary care providers and physician assistants, along with pulmonologists, infectious disease experts and cardiologists, according to a news release from the hospital chain.
“Patients who have received positive COVID-19 test results, are waiting for results of their tests or have recently been discharged from the hospital for COVID-19 can get non-emergent care at this clinic,” Dr. Louis Roser, Saint Al’s Clinic medical director, said in the news release. “We will be treating their COVID symptoms as well as any chronic conditions until their illness has resolved and they can continue getting care from their primary care provider.”
The Boise clinic will be for those who are showing coronavirus symptoms but are not sick enough to be hospitalized. The clinic will not provide COVID-19 tests, as testing will be available at the Meridian Health Plaza and Garrity Clinic in Nampa.
Idaho adds 8 new coronavirus deaths, over 670 confirmed cases to totals
Idaho’s coronavirus death totals grew yet again, as the state now has 589 reported deaths after adding eight on Tuesday.
Pairs of deaths were found in Lincoln and Bonneville counties, and each reported deaths of men in their 30s. The other Lincoln County death was that of a man in his 50s, and the other Bonneville death was that of a woman in her 70s.
Single deaths were reported in Latah, Bannock, Kootenai and Jerome counties.
Idaho health officials reported 672 confirmed coronavirus cases on Tuesday, as well as 189 new probable cases. Of the confirmed cases, Ada County reported 94, bringing its total to 14,665 as of Tuesday. Canyon County added 71 confirmed cases, growing its total to 9,229.
Several Idaho counties reported double-digit new coronavirus cases Tuesday, including Latah (14 new), Nez Perce (36), Bannock (35), Bingham (14), Caribou (11), Franklin (12), Payette (14), Kootenai (36), Bonneville (57), Fremont (11), Lemhi (15), Madison (45), Twin Falls (78), Minidoka (10), Jerome (20) and Blaine (10).
As of Tuesday, Idaho has 53,718 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 respiratory disease. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare says there are 7,384 probable cases of the coronavirus. The department also estimates 28,553 people have recovered from the virus.
Health and Welfare says that as of Friday, 375,400 people have been tested for the coronavirus, with around 14.3% of those tested coming up positive.
All of Idaho’s 44 counties have confirmed cases of the coronavirus: Ada 14,665, Adams 51, Bannock 1,772, Bear Lake 66, Benewah 169, Bingham 1,260, Blaine 830, Boise 62, Bonner 436, Bonneville 3,576, Boundary 69, Butte 84, Camas 34, Canyon 9,229, Caribou 211, Cassia 1,263, Clark 33, Clearwater 126, Custer 84, Elmore 376, Franklin 304, Fremont 446, Gem 368, Gooding 450, Idaho 352, Jefferson 804, Jerome 949, Kootenai 3,839, Latah 915, Lemhi 207, Lewis 77, Lincoln 171, Madison 2,281, Minidoka 1,095, Nez Perce 798, Oneida 50, Owyhee 358, Payette 986, Power 309, Shoshone 262, Teton 258, Twin Falls 3,523, Valley 108, Washington 412.
This story was originally published October 28, 2020 at 9:48 AM.
