Health care providers are making measured choices about who is screened for the coronavirus in the region because the availability of tests is limited.

That update was shared by health officials in north central Idaho and southeastern Washington where, as of Tuesday evening, there continued to be no confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Some hospitals tightened the criteria for who could enter their facilities.

Overall, Idaho had nine confirmed cases and no deaths while Washington had 1,012 cases and 52 deaths. Of those 1,012 cases, four were in Spokane County and one was in Columbia County, where no one has died from the coronavirus.

Among those likely to be tested are people who are hospitalized with coronavirus symptoms to help with decisions about how to stop the illness from reaching other patients or health care providers, said Tara Macke, a spokeswoman for Public Health — Idaho North Central District.

Individuals who show symptoms and have underlying health issues, such as heart disease, as well as health care professionals who had close contact with someone who had the coronavirus are also likely to be screened, she said.

“The people who really need to be tested are being tested,” said Brady Woodbury, administrator of Asotin County Public Health District.

It’s not clear how soon more tests might be available. That’s partly because what is happening in the region is part of a nationwide problem involving kits, which generally consist of a cotton swab to take a sample from the nose and plastic tube with a liquid to preserve the sample until it is tested, said Whitman County Public Health Director Troy Henderson.

Asotin County is among the jurisdictions that want more kits, and is seeking them from Washington state after a report from Tri-State Memorial Hospital in Clarkston that the supply is “critically low,” said Asotin County Emergency Services Director Mark Janowski.

He followed the submission of the request with a telephone call hoping to get a faster response.

But Asotin County’s needs are among more than 1,000 being processed by the state, which, in some instances, is hearing from jurisdictions that lack medical staff, he said.

“The state pretty much says they’re doing the best they can,” Janowski said.

A Tri-State spokeswoman didn’t share how many tests the hospital had, but said that it was not accurate to describe the supply as critcally low.

“We are working with multiple partners (besides Asotin County) to obtain additional testing supplies,” said Rebecca Mann in an email. “This is not unique to our facility.”

Besides more tests, Asotin County is asking for respiratory masks designed to filter out 95 percent of particulates, as well as hand sanitizer, face shields and gowns, Woodbury said.

Having personal protective equipment is part of the testing challenge because health care providers are required to wear the gear when they administer the tests, Woodbury said.

As officials worked to secure supplies, Tri-State joined Pullman Regional Hospital and St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston on Tuesday in announcing they would limit who entered their facilities to help prevent the coronavirus from spreading.

Tri-State’s restrictions began Tuesday while Pullman and St. Joe’s went into effect today.

St. Joe’s approach involves screening visitors, employees, patients, and medical providers.

“We know these increased precautions may seem concerning,” said St. Joe’s CEO Tim Trottier in a message about the new policy. “We do not want to cause alarm — but we do want to send a clear message to our community that we are prepared, responding appropriately and are committed to protecting the well being of our patients, visitors, employees and community.”

More business and organizations announced closures Tuesday. Some are listed below; a complete list can be found on lmtribune.com.

Asotin County Public Utility Office has closed its office to all public access and paused nonessential business operations until further notice. Manager Tim Simpson said the PUD made this decision out of an abundance of caution for the public and our employees. The closure will not affect the essential services it provides to its customers, including the reliable delivery of water, Simspon said. Customer disconnections for non-payment have been paused until further notice. The PUD is encouraging customers to call customer service at (509) 758-1010 to pay their bill, set up payment arrangements or conduct other business. For payments, customers also may continue to pay by mail or pay online at www.asotinpud.org.

In Asotin County, vehicle licensing renewals are now being processed via mail, online at dol.wa.gov or can be placed in a ballot drop box at the Asotin County Courthouse. Stormwater payments and taxes are also being collected in the drop box, through the mail and online. More information about Asotin County’s response to COVID-19 is available at co.asotin.wa.us.

Regional ski areas are closing or suspending operations. They include Brundage Mountain at McCall that closed today until further notice, Tamarack near Donnelly that is closed until at least April 15, and Ski Bluewood near Dayton that has closed for the season. Silver Mountain is closed but plans to reopen Friday.

The Clarkston Distinguished Young Woman program, which was scheduled for March 28 at Clarkston High School, has been postponed. The Clarkston DYW board hopes to reschedule the program at a later date.

The Distinguished Young Women of Genesee program has postponed its showcase, orignally scheduled for Saturday. A new date will be announced at a later time.

Catholic churches in the Spokane and Boise diocese, which include Holy Family Parish of Clarkston and All Saints Parish of Lewiston, have suspended public Masses through April 6. Priests have been asked to offer private Mass and livestream services when possible. Funeral rites are limited to graveside committals, unless the vigil does not exceed 10 people.

The Lewiston Knights of Columbus announced they are suspending their Lenten fish fries as well as all council meetings and functions until further notice.

The Army Corps of Engineers has closed its visitor centers at McNary Dam, Ice Harbor Dam, Lower Granite Dam and Dworshak Dam, and its office at Clarkston, until at least April.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has canceled its hunter education classes and access to its fish hatcheries. The agency has canceled its “Take me fishing” trailer events and canceled all meetings at its offices. The agency is offering online hunter education classes and waiving the requirement for field tests.

The Asotin County Family Aquatic Center is closed through the end of the month. Family Theme Night, Spring Break Splash, April Pools Day and an underwater Easter egg hunt have all been canceled, and lifeguard courses are suspended until further notice.

City of Lewiston Public Works Director Chris Davies asked that people only flush toilet paper because other materials will clog wastewater pump stations, which are difficult to clean.

The city of Lewiston Community Development Department at 215 D St. has closed its second-floor public meeting room until further notice, and expects to close the entire building to the public soon. City transit is moving to a reduced schedule to allow deep cleaning of buses, and fixed-route service may soon be suspended entirely. Dial-A-Ride service for kidney dialysis patients will be maintained as long as possible.

The city of Lewiston Parks and Recreation Department’s Senior Nutrition Program will continue to offer its meals at the Lewiston Community Center for now, but the buffet has been eliminated. It has also halted the communal meal that is served at the Orchards United Methodist Church. If communal meals are halted, the program expects to offer meals that can be picked up instead. The Meals on Wheels program is expected to continue for now.

Public access to Nez Perce County’s Brammer Building at 1225 Idaho St. is restricted. Those who need to conduct business with the following office are asked to please call ahead to schedule an appointment, or handle business by phone or email whenever possible. Here is the contact information: Nez Perce County Commissioners, (208) 799-3090, [email protected]; Personnel, (208) 799-3198, [email protected]; Social Services, (208) 799-3095, [email protected]; Planning and Building, (208) 799-3197, [email protected]; Emergency Management, (208) 750-2055, [email protected]. Payments for Social Services can be made at the silver drop box to the west of the courthouse.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s Division of Welfare is shifting from walk-in services to appointment- and phone-based services only in some Idaho locations beginning today. Benefits will continue as normal.

The Clearwater Memorial Public Library in Orofino is closed to all foot traffic until further notice. Librarians are asking patrons to knock on the door to pick up holds or return items. The library is taking phone calls during regular business hours for book requests and curbside service.

The 1912 Center in Moscow will close its doors until further notice. Executive Director Jenny Kostroff said that all events located in the historic building and event venue have been canceled, including the Moscow Senior Center. Organizations with planned events will receive a complete refund.

Moscow’s SMART Transit announced in news release Tuesday that, beginning Thursday, fixed routes serving the west and east areas of Moscow will be temporarily suspended through April 3.

Williams may be contacted at [email protected] or (208) 848-2261. The Tribune’s Kerri Sandaine contributed to this report, as did the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.