COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — The Panhandle Health District is reporting a backlog of COVID-19 cases for July and August.
In a press release sent Friday, the health district cited the surge in cases, tight labor market and demobilization of the National Guard as contributing factors in the backlog.
“A back-log creates two significant issues,” PHD interim director Don Duffy said in a release. “First, when our team is swamped with cases, we are unable to contact everyone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Second, we only report the number of cases processed that day, so the public doesn’t see the actual situation. For example, last Friday, August 20, we reported 36 cases, but in reality, we had over 900 cases left to process. We have temporarily mobilized PHD staff away from their current responsibilities to quickly eliminate the back-log.”
The health district said it has several positions open to hire additional staff to help with the COVID-19 efforts. Positions can be found online.
“It is important for us to be transparent with our community as we know that schools, businesses, and individuals make important decisions based on the information we provide,” Duffy said.
If you test positive for COVID-19 or had close contact with someone who has COVID-19, PHD recommends you do the following:
- If you have symptoms of COVID-19, get tested and stay away from others while you await your results.
- If you test positive, self-isolate for 10 days since symptoms first appeared and 24 hours with no fever (without the use of fever-reducing medication) and other symptoms are improving.
- If you test positive, but have no symptoms, self-isolate for 10 days since you had a positive test.
- If you have had close contact to someone who has tested positive with COVID-19, self-isolate and wait 5-7 days before getting tested. If choosing not to test, self-isolate for 10 days since last exposure. If choosing to test end isolation after day 7 after receiving a negative test result (test must occur on day 5 or later).
If you are fully vaccinated and shows no symptoms of COVID-19, you do not need to stay home. But, fully vaccinated people should get tested three to five days after their exposure and wear a mask indoors in public for two weeks, even if they don’t have symptoms. People who have had COVID-19 within the last three months, has recovered and has no symptoms, do not need to stay home following a possible COVID-19 exposure.
