North Idaho COVID-19 count at 68

COEUR d’ALENE — The Panhandle Health District (PHD) announced Monday that the total number of cases of COVID-19 in the Panhandle area is at 68. Sixty-four of the cases are in Kootenai County and four are in Bonner County.

Shoshone, Benewah and Boundary counties still report zero confirmed cases.

Details on new cases will be posted on the PHD website page in real time: www.panhandlehealthdistrict.org/covid-19/.

PHD will update their Facebook page and website at noon daily with new confirmed cases and details. They will only send a press release when a county confirms their first case or in the event of a death due to COVID-19 in any of the counties they serve.

Of the total number of confirmed cases, PHD is no longer monitoring 51 individuals. A person is no longer monitored when they have stayed home for the recommended period of time, has not had a fever for at least 72 hours (that is three full days of no fever without the use medicine that reduces fevers), has had other symptoms improve (for example, when a cough or shortness of breath have improved), and at least seven days have passed since symptoms first appeared.

Hospitalizations shown on the PHD website are a tally of total hospitalizations of confirmed cases. This does not mean these patients are currently hospitalized, only that they were hospitalized for COVID-19 and are also confirmed positive with COVID-19.

PHD will continue to monitor the situation closely and are working with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, city and county leaders, schools, emergency management, health care providers and our community at large to help prevent the spread of this virus.

People ill with coronavirus in other states and countries have reported mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough and difficulty breathing.

If community members have these symptoms and are concerned, they should call PHD’s call center at 1-877-415-5225 or their provider. PHD will provide an over-the-phone assessment to determine if someone should be tested. Please call, do not come into PHD or your provider’s office.

Call center hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Voicemails will be checked each weekday morning and on Saturdays at 1 p.m. PHD has adjusted the hours because of the decrease in call volume. If they begin to receive an increase, the hours will adjust accordingly.

Tested individuals must stay home until test results are received. If the test is positive, all household members must self-isolate at home for a recommended period of time.