PHD: 234 new cases

The Panhandle Health District on Monday reported 234 new coronavirus cases, including Saturday and Sunday, bringing the total to 9,669 cases. There are 6,549 closed cases. Of the 112 deaths attributed to the virus in the PHD, 104 were people age 70 and over. Seventy-nine deaths were Kootenai County residents.

Kootenai Health reported it had 70 COVID-19 patients on Monday, with 16 in critical care.

PHD's most recent positivity rate, for the week ending Nov. 21 based on 5,753 PCR tests, was 19.7%. That's well up for the low of 4.3% for the week ending Aug. 29.

The state's positivity rate for the week ending Nov. 21 was 19.4% based on 39,622 PCR tests.

Kootenai County had 810 new cases for the week ending Nov. 21, the fourth-highest in the state.

Kootenai County now has had 7,526 cases, with 5,155 closed. That leaves 2,371 active cases, about 1.4% of its population of about 165,000.

The city of Coeur d'Alene and PHD recently passed mandates that require people to wear masks when unable to maintain social distance in public places.

Health officials also remind people to wash hands frequently.