Fifty-two new COVID-19 infections and no deaths were reported around the region Monday following the long Thanksgiving weekend.

Public Health – Idaho North Central District reported 34 new cases since last Wednesday, including four each in Lewis and Idaho counties; seven in Latah County; eight in Clearwater County; and 11 in Nez Perce County.

Whitman County had 11 new cases; Asotin County reported seven new cases for a 14-day count of 64, with three hospitalizations; and there was no change in Garfield County’s numbers.

St. Joseph Regional Medical Center reported five patients currently at the hospital who have tested positive for COVID-19. That’s an increase of one since Nov. 22.

The weekly media briefing about COVID-19 in Idaho will be held today by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare via Webex.

State medical officials will be available for comment, including Dr. Christopher Ball, chief of the Idaho Bureau of Laboratories and Sarah Leeds, manager of the Idaho Immunization Program.

The general public can join the briefing as attendees in listen/watch-only mode at bit.ly/3ljOr7q.

LCSC allows mask-optional protocol

Lewis-Clark State College will allow a mask-optional protocol in classrooms, office and interior building spaces beginning Jan. 3, according to a message from LCSC President Cynthia Pemberton on Monday.

The college’s testing strategy will remain in place through January to help monitor the success of onboarding and mask-optional practices.

Pemberton said the modification in COVID-19 prevention strategy partly results from a campus-wide survey that indicated 77 percent were comfortable implementing the protocol immediately; 80 percent as of Jan. 3; and 89 pending successful spring semester on-boarding.

She added that 71 percent of employees have been vaccinated and student vaccination rates run between 40 and 60 percent.

Pemberton said “mask-optional” means faculty and staff members can direct whether masks will be worn in classrooms and individual or share office spaces. The college recommends people exercise mask-optional judgment according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

“If we experience a spike in our campus community COVID-19 infection rates,” Pemberton said, “we will resume our prior protocol strategy related to masks.”

Hedberg may be contacted at kathyhedberg@gmail.com or (208) 983-2326.