Panhandle Health District announces three additional cases of COVID-19 in North Idaho

The Panhandle Health District and Kootenai Health confirmed three additional confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in Kootenai County on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases to six in the panhandle area.

Of the new cases, one is a female under the age of 18, one is a man in his 30s and another is a woman in her 30s. All are self-isolating at home and contact tracing is ongoing.

Epidemiologists with PHD are working to investigate cases of possible contact.

All household members of confirmed cases will be asked to self-isolate at home for a prescribed period of time. If other people are found to have been exposed, health officials will provide guidance to these individuals and they will be asked to self-monitor for the development of symptoms.

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

As of 12:01 a.m. Monday, Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene shut down bars and restricted restaurant operations. Hayden officials enacted similar restrictions for their community.

In all three communities, restaurants will be allowed to deliver food, operate drive-through windows and offer curbside pickup, Post Falls Mayor Ron Jacobson said after an emergency council meeting Saturday afternoon. Patrons will be allowed in restaurants only to pick up food.

Bars or taverns that don’t offer food to go will not be able to operate for 14 days, Jacobson and Coeur d’Alene Mayor Steve Widmyer said.

People ill with this 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 they become severe, 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. Call, do not come into PHD or your provider’s office.

CDC does not generally issue advisories or restrictions for travel within the United States. However, cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been reported in many states, and some areas are experiencing community spread of the disease.