Lewiston schools up to seven virus cases

The number of coronavirus cases climbed to seven in the Lewiston School District on Thursday, with the majority of the illnesses being confirmed in students or staff at the high school.

Three LHS students and one LHS staff member have tested positive for COVID-19, said Kimberly Eimers, Lewiston School District director of student services.

The other cases involve one staff member at Whitman Elementary, one staff member at Webster Elementary and a third employee who doesn’t have contact with students, she said.

No one has needed to be hospitalized. Two of the students and two of the staff members are still quarantining. The remaining three have returned to class or work, she said.

The schools will continue operating in the “green phase,” conducting face-to-face classes based on ongoing conversations with officials at Public Health – Idaho North Central District and the school district, Eimers said.

Meetings were held Thursday with administrators and high school staff to update them on the coronavirus.

“We reiterated the importance of following the safety protocols the board has adapted,” she said.

The district requires students and staff members to wear masks when they are entering and exiting schools, during transition times and in common areas. Face coverings are strongly encouraged for students in indoor instructional settings where social distancing is not possible.

Additional precautions, such as plexiglass dividers for desks, are on the way, Eimers said.

So far, the cases represent a small percentage of the 4,665 students enrolled in Lewiston schools and the district’s 500 full- and part-time employees, she said.

“It hasn’t been smooth waters all the time, but we’re doing the best we can and we’ll continue to improve in every aspect of it so we can stay in green,” Eimers said.

The increase in COVID-19 in the Lewiston School District happened on a day where no new deaths were reported in the region as the disease continued to spread.

The number of cases in north central Idaho reached 1,570 on Thursday, with 703 of those who have contracted the illness classified as recovered.

Of 32 new cases in north central Idaho on Thursday, 12 were in Nez Perce County and eight were in Lewis County. Clearwater, Idaho and Latah counties each had four new cases.

Nimiipuu Health had three new cases Wednesday, said Kayeloni Scott, a spokeswoman for the Nez Perce Tribe, in a text Thursday.

Gritman Medical Center reported Thursday in a weekly update that it has cared for three patients with COVID-19, but none of them are in the hospital at this time.

In southeastern Washington, Whitman County continues to have the highest number of cases of any county in the area, but has only had one death.

The number of cases in Whitman County rose by 31 on Thursday, with all but one of the cases occurring in individuals who are 39 years old or younger. Three patients are hospitalized with the coronavirus in Whitman County.

Asotin County confirmed two additional cases on Thursday, bringing its total to 146 and four deaths, while Garfield County remained steady at 15 cases and no deaths.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 553-8482.