Area virus cases closing in on 100

COEUR d’ALENE — The number of coronavirus cases in Kootenai County has reached 78.

The Panhandle Health District reported that as of Wednesday, it has confirmed 97 cases in the five northern counties.

There are seven in Benewah County, five in Bonner, and still none in Boundary or Shoshone counties. There are seven cases labeled “undetermined.”

Kootenai County had 67 cases as of last Friday. Since then, there have been 11 new cases.

The uptick was not surprising, said Katherine Hoyer, PHD spokeswoman.

“We expected there to be an increase in cases with the reopening, and we continue to ask our community to practice precautions when going out in public,” she wrote in an email. “Continue the physical distancing, wear a cloth face covering, stay home if you are sick, wash hands often, and sanitize frequently.”

Gov. Brad Little’s Idaho Rebounds program allowed restaurants, gyms and salons to reopen on May 15, and bars got the green light to open on May 30.

The last stage, stage four, is set for June 13. It will allow nightclubs to operate with “diminished standing-room occupancy,” and large venues can operate “under limited physical distancing protocols.”

According to PHD, people with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported — ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.