Two coronavirus-related deaths have been confirmed at Tri-State Memorial Hospital in Clarkston.

Both patients were Nez Perce County residents older than 90, according to Tri-State officials. The deaths mark the first COVID-19-related fatalities reported at the southeastern Washington hospital.

In addition, two people with COVID-19 symptoms are being treated at Tri-State, but tests have not confirmed whether they have the disease, said Don Wee, CEO of the hospital. One is from Asotin County, and the other is a Nez Perce County resident.

“They are both in isolation and being treated by an outstanding and caring team,” Wee told the Tribune on Saturday.

Brady Woodbury, Asotin County public health administrator, said one of the elderly COVID-19 patients at Tri-State died Thursday. Neither death appears on Washington state statistics because the patients are not from Asotin County.

One of the deaths was previously reported by Public Health-Idaho North Central District, because of the patient’s place of residence. Director Carol Moehrle said no new cases have been confirmed on the Idaho side of the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley since the health district’s last update. Idaho County has one confirmed case, and Nez Perce County is listed with four.

As of Saturday, no Asotin County or Garfield County residents have tested positive for the virus. However, Whitman County received another positive COVID-19 test result Saturday, bringing the county’s total number to six, according to a news release from Bill Tensfeld, director of emergency management. The sixth case is a man between the ages of 50 and 59, who is stable and isolating at home, Tensfeld said.

The Whitman County Public Health Department is investigating close contacts of the four most recent positive patients, Tensfeld said. Contact tracing has been completed on the first two cases.

In Moscow, Gritman Medical Center has responded to the pandemic by preparing for a possible surge of infectious patients that exceeds the hospital’s capacity.

According to a news release issued Saturday, a former dormitory at the University of Idaho has been cleaned to care for infected community members in a confined area. Other residential areas on campus have been identified as possible isolation sites, if needed.

By staying home and socially distancing, the public can help minimize the rate of spread of COVID-19 in the region, hospital officials said. No positive cases have been reported in Latah County, but the low number of infections is a result of these unprecedented measures, a Gritman spokesperson said.

“As the disease spreads, sheltering in place and minimizing social contacts remains critically important, as it will help prevent health care workers and the public from getting sick and the health care system from being overwhelmed,” Peter Mundt said in the release.

Sandaine may be contacted at [email protected] or (208) 848-2264. Follow her on Twitter @newsfromkerri.