Kootenai County deaths attributed at six

COEUR d’ALENE — As the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise in the Panhandle Health District, so does the number of deaths.

Six Kootenai County residents, all between the ages of 70 to 90, have died of COVID-19, according to PHD.

The first was in mid-June. There were two on Thursday, another on Friday and two more on Monday.

“We had predicted this was going to potentially happen,” said PHD spokeswoman Katherine Hoyer. “This is the pattern.”

The number of cases in the PHD has continued to climb, reaching 1,643, with 49 new cases Tuesday.

Hospitalizations were at 32.

Hoyer said Tuesday PHD continues to receive nonstop calls both thanking the board for the mask mandate it passed by a 4-2 vote for Kootenai County on Thursday and disagreeing with the decision.

Along with the mask mandate, health officials continue to urge the public to wash hands, sanitize areas at work and home and practice social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus.

Kootenai County has 1,364 cases, up 39, PHD reported.

Bonner County has 138 cases, Shoshone has 56, Boundary has 30, and Benewah has 38. The mask mandate does not apply to those counties.

Hoyer said in areas where there is a rise in cases, there is usually a rise in deaths.

“That’s exactly what is happening here,” she said.

She said it is important everyone wear masks when in public places around people.

Many of the cases, 478, are people in the 18-29 age group. The 30-39 age group has 271 cases.

The mandate requires that people wear masks where social distancing — at least six feet apart — is not possible.

Kootenai County Commissioners did not wear masks at their Monday meeting.

Leslie Duncan said Tuesday she did not wear one for medical reasons.

Bill Brooks said he did not wear one because there was at least six feet between him and the other commissioners.

“I don’t like how they passed the mask mandate for Kootenai County but none of the other four counties in [the Idaho Panhandle],” he said. “I know we have more cases, but still.”

Brooks said he has “mask mandate fatigue at this point. I believe if you want to wear a mask then wear a mask, but don’t go shaming everybody.”

Commissioner Chris Fillios said he wears mask walking to and from the meetings.

“I know I’m passing people, but we’re pretty much distanced when we’re down there, and since we are speaking into a mic, it is muffled and hard for people to hear us,” he said.

Hoyer, contacted by The Press for comment, said, “As a general rule, when individuals are within an enclosed space without ventilation of open doors or windows, the exposure risk would be higher than if the same situation was occurring outdoors,” she wrote.