PHD endorses community wide masking
COVID count at 592; five currently in hospital
The Panhandle Health District board on Wednesday endorsed communitywide masking to fight the spread of the coronavirus and is recommending that businesses require customers to wear masks.
“PHD will continue to monitor the situation and while not currently endorsing mandatory rules and/or a COVID-19 Recovery Stage roll-back, PHD may consider such actions if necessary to protect the health of our community,” a press release said.
The Panhandle area has a total of 592 COVID-19 cases, including 56 new cases Wednesday. PHD reported that the age group of 18 to 29 has the most COVID-19 cases at 223.
Hospitalizations remain at five. There has been one death in Kootenai County attributed to the coronavirus.
PHD said 179 cases are no longer being monitored and there has been a total of 22 hospitalizations.
Kootenai County’s coronavirus count rose to 514, an increase of 48 cases.
Benewah County remained at 15 cases, Bonner County rose five to 44, Boundary County is still at one and Shoshone County rose from three to six, PHD said. There are 12 undetermined cases.
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.
More than 500 new cases in seven weeks has increased concerns and has led health officials to urge the public to be vigilant in practicing social distancing, sanitizing, hand washing and wearing a mask when in public.
The board said the increase in case numbers “will significantly increase COVID-19 illness in our community and the resulting increased demands on health care, as well as having a negative impact on business activity, personal interactions and related activities. There is also the potential for the increased infections to overwhelm our regional health care capacity.”
Hayden Mayor Steve Griffitts said he certainly supports efforts to protect the community’s health, but also said he did not want to see businesses shut down again or the economy going backward.
“We need our economy to stay open and move forward,” he said.
Coeur d’Alene Mayor Steve Widmyer, when asked last week about mandating residents to wear masks in public, told The Press: “We are going to follow the advice of health care professionals. This is a health and safety issue. As with any illness, you follow the advice of your doctor. They are the ones educated and trained to help you through medical issues. The same applies here.”
The PHD press release said ongoing research regarding the spread of infective viruses documents that such viruses are released in droplets during exhalation, coughing, and even talking.
Research indicates that such droplets can be small enough to remain aloft in the air, the release said.
The precautions for avoiding COVID-19 are the same as those for avoiding the flu and common cold, according to the PHD website.
“In light of the serious danger and implications due to this recent significant increase in COVID-19 infected cases, PHD strongly recommends” the following practices:
• On a communitywide basis use masking, social (physical) distancing, and repeated proper hand hygiene (properly wash hands, use hand sanitizer, keep hands away from face).
• Make sure that all indoor gathering sites provide sufficient and effective ventilation, particularly in public buildings, workplace environments, schools, hospitals, and aged care homes (opening both doors and windows can dramatically increase airflow rates in many buildings).
• Avoid overcrowding, particularly in public transport and in public buildings.
• It is recommended that local businesses require masking by their employees in all situations where self-isolation (i.e. private offices) is not possible, require (or at least encourage) patrons to wear a mask upon entry to the establishments, particularly when physical distancing is not possible, keep surfaces in the business effectively clean, and provide hand sanitizer for employees and patrons.
PHD also continues to endorse increasing testing availability, as well as ongoing case identification and epidemiologic tracking.
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.
