Boundary County has 8 coronavirus cases
(Image courtesy PANHANDLE HEALTH DISTRICT) Panhandle Health District reported 56 new COVID-19 cases in the Idaho Panhandle. None of the new cases were reported in Boundary County, leaving the community as the only one in the five northern counties without an active confirmed case.
BONNERS FERRY — Since last week, Boundary County has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases, according to the local officials and the Panhandle Health District.
While the first case of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus was a woman in her 20s who was infected while traveling out of the area and was never contagious while in the county, that changed last Wednesday when a male in his 40s living in Boundary County was confirmed to have COVID-19. Since then, an additional six cases have been reported in the community, bringing the total number of active cases in Boundary County to seven with eight overall since the start of the pandemic.
Local COVID-19 patients are experiencing mild symptoms and are self-isolating along with their families at home, Andrew O’Neel, Boundary County Emergency Management director, said.
“As we see a steady increase in cases across the country, in Idaho, and within Boundary County, many residents may feel a growing sense of anxiety and concern about what to do,” O’Neel said. “Along with practicing good personal hygiene, the best actions we can take right now to help slow the spread in Boundary County are to stay at least 6 feet away from anyone who is not in your household and wear a face covering or mask in public.”
O’Neel said he recently spoke with a public health official who has been doing contact tracing in Kootenai County, trying to determine how patients became infected with COVID-19 and find out who else might have been exposed so they can be notified.
“After dozens of contact investigations, he discovered two primary factors that nearly always predicted whether a person who came into contact with a COVID-19 case would become ill themselves,” O’Neel said. “In case after case, he saw that people who kept their distance and wore masks did not get ill, while those who had close contact and did not wear a mask almost always became sick.”
While the anecdotal information is one official’s observation, the BCEM director said it is a strong validation of what everyone has been advised to do all along — practice social distancing and wear a face covering in public.
Fortunately, according to health officials, Boundary County cases have reported mild symptoms similar to allergies, such as runny nose, mild headache, and sore throat. One person noticed a loss of their sense of smell which tipped them off to call Panhandle Health for an over-the-phone assessment and to go get tested for COVID-19.
If residents do currently have or develop symptoms, they should stay at home. If symptoms get worse and you need medical care, call your medical provider. If you want to find out if you should be tested for COVID-19, Panhandle Health District is providing over-the-phone assessments and answering questions on their hotline at 1-877-415-5225.
The Idaho Department of Health & Welfare reported 316 new confirmed or probable cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, pushing the statewide total to 11,718 cases. The virus has claimed the lives of 103 Idahoans, Health & Welfare said.
The Northeast Tri-County Health District in Washington state reported two new cases — one in Pend Oreille County and one in Stevens County — bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 46. Stevens County has accumulated 29 cases during the pandemic, while Pend Oreille County has accumulated 13. Ferry County has had four cases, one of which was ultimately fatal. A total of 23 new cases emerged in the tri-county area over the last two weeks, according to NETCHD.
Cases in Montana continue to surge, according to state public health officials.
The state tallied 109 new confirmed cases, resulting in a total of 1,952 cases. Lincoln County’s cases climbed to 40 cases on Tuesday. Sanders County has zero cases, according to the Montana State Department of Public Health.
If you have or develop general flu-like symptoms that include cough, fever over 100.4 degrees, or difficulty breathing: stay at home. Call your medical provider if your symptoms get worse and you need medical care, or if you want to find out if you should be tested for COVID-19.
If community members have these symptoms or have been exposed to a confirmed case, they should call PHD’s call center at 1-877-415-5225 or their health care provider. PHD will provide an over-the-phone assessment to determine if someone should be tested. Please call, do not come into PHD or your provider’s office.
For current information about the ongoing spread of COVID-19 across Idaho, go online to coronavirus.idaho.gov or for North Idaho, panhandlehealthdistrict.org/covid-19