More COVID cases in North Idaho; none in Boundary County
BONNERS FERRY — While additional confirmed cases novel coronavirus have turned up in the region, none are in Boundary County the Panhandle Health District said on Wednesday.
As of 8 a.m. Monday, May 28, Boundary Community Hospital officials said 91 COVID-19 samples had tested negative in the community with results pending from another seven samples at the Idaho State Lab.
The health district said there are 97 cases total in the five northern counties, but the residency of seven infected people was undetermined.
Kootenai County has 77 confirmed cases, while Bonner and Benewah counties have five and seven cases, respectively. A case previously identified as occurring in Benewah County has been unassigned for further investigation. The virus, which causes COVID-19, also has not been detected in Shoshone County, according to the health district.
The virus caused nine hospitalizations and 68 people who tested positive for the virus are no longer being monitored by public health officials.
Of the total cases, the health district is no longer monitoring 68 cases, which means there are 29 active cases, Katherine Hoyer, PHD spokesperson, said.
“Community spread has been identified in Benewah County making it the second county in our area to announce community spread,” Hoyer said on the district’s Facebook page. “Kootenai county also has identified community spread.”
Community spread means at least one person has been infected with the virus and through contact tracing, the health district is unable to determine how or where they became infected.
The individual(s) did not travel and had no identified contact with another person with COVID-19. PHD urges all residents to assume the virus could be anywhere in the community and surrounding counties, Hoyer said.
Anyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, should call the health district hotline at 1-877-415-5225 to be assessed for a COVID-19 test.
The Idaho Department of Health & Welfare reported on Tuesday there were 27 new confirmed or probable cases of coronavirus, boosting the statewide total to 2,933 cases. The virus is blamed for 83 deaths in the state, Health & Welfare said.
The Northeast Tri-County Health District in Washington state, meanwhile, reported two new cases in Stevens County on Tuesday. One of the infected individuals lives north of Colville while the other lives south of Colville, the health district said.
Both individuals are safely self-isolating at home, according to NETCHD.
The state of Montana reported four new cases of the virus, bringing the statewide total to 523. There are seven cases in Lincoln County and none in Sanders County, according to the Montana Department of Public Health.
There have been 17 deaths and 67 hospitalizations in Montana because of the virus.