COVID count at 536; 5 hospitalized

| July 7, 2020 2:05 PM

COEUR d’ALENE — The Panhandle area has a total of 536 COVID-19 cases, including 25 new cases Tuesday.

PHD reported that the age group of 18 to 29 has the most COVID-19 cases at 206, while the 30-39 age group has the second-most at 79, followed by 70 in the 50-59 age group.

Five people are hospitalized, according to the Panhandle Health District. There has been one death in Kootenai County attributed to the coronavirus.

PHD said 142 cases are no longer being monitored and there has been a total of 22 hospitalizations.

Kootenai County’s coronavirus count rose to 466, an increase of 26 cases.

Benewah County remained at 15 cases, Bonner County stayed at 39, Boundary County is still at one and Shoshone County remained at three, PHD said. There are 12 undetermined cases.

By gender, 284 cases are female, while 250 are male.

A spike in cases over the past seven weeks has raised concerns.

When restaurants, salons and gyms reopened May 16 under Gov. Brad Little’s Rebound Idaho plan, PHD reported 68 coronavirus cases, with 64 in Kootenai County.

On May 30, bars were allowed to reopen. Idaho entered stage four on June 13, which allowed nightclubs and large venues to open.

Health officials say people should not be complacent and must be vigilant in practicing social distancing, sanitizing, hand washing and wearing a mask when in public.

The precautions for avoiding COVID-19 are the same as those for avoiding the flu and common cold, according to the PHD website.

COVID-19 testing is available in North Idaho and anyone who needs to be tested is encouraged to call their primary care provider or PHD’s hotline.

Info: panhandlehealthdistrict.org/covid-19 or call the PHD Hotline Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 877-415-5225.