Two die in Clearwater County as COVID-19 cases rise

Two deaths from COVID-19 were reported in the region Friday as case numbers climbed in most counties.

The deaths reported were in Clearwater County, both men in their 70s; four COVID-19 cases were confirmed there. Three new cases were reported in Lewis County, seven in Idaho County, 16 in Latah County and 36 in Nez Perce County.

There have been 208 new cases in Nez Perce County since Aug. 6. and 372 cases and one death reported in the past 14 days. There were 143 cases in July, compared to the 338 cases confirmed so far in August, according to the Public Health – Idaho North Central District website.

The virus’s delta variant is responsible for a surge in positive cases in Whitman and Asotin counties, officials said.

Asotin County

There were 10 new cases confirmed Friday in Asotin County, bringing the total to 1,768. There have been 151 confirmed cases there over the past 14 days. There are five hospitalizations.

Asotin County Public Health Administrator Brady Woodbury said health officials do not have “absolute scientific evidence” that the delta variant is present in the county. They have sent at least two samples to a Washington state lab for testing, and they were confirmed to not be from the variant.

However, the county’s health officials have “relative proof” that the variant is present, Woodbury said. One instance of that proof is a surge in breakthrough cases, which are positive COVID-19 cases confirmed in people who have been fully vaccinated.

From February to June, there were seven breakthrough cases in the county, according to a report from Washington State Department of Health.

But since July 1, there have been 42 breakthrough cases, Woodbury said. Thirty-one of those cases were confirmed in August.

“When we started seeing breakthrough cases, we started realizing that we likely had delta in Asotin County,” he said.

About 32 percent of Asotin County residents have had at least one vaccination dose as of June, according to the report.

Woodbury said he believes the current rate is higher because some residents were vaccinated in other states, specifically Idaho, and haven’t shown up in Washington state’s system. He thinks the rate is closer to 50 percent.

Woodbury said it also is likely the delta variant is present in the county based on Washington state’s own testing. More than 90 percent of recent cases are caused by the delta variant within the state.

The delta variant also may be responsible for the surge in COVID-19 cases among children 12 and younger in the county. Woodbury said he has heard, anecdotally, that the ages of people hospitalized for COVID-19-related reasons are much younger than in the beginning of the pandemic, when those likely to be hospitalized fell in the 50 and older age range.

Whitman County

There are 15 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Whitman County, bringing the total to 4,583. There have been 137 hospitalizations, and deaths remain at 53.

Whitman County Public Health Director Chris Skidmore said the number of hospitalizations has increased in the county, but not to the extent seen across Washington state.

Skidmore said health officials in the area believe the delta variant is the dominant strain in the county. He said he thinks the variant accounts for about 90 percent of the recent cases.

The delta variant was identified through genomic sequencing Aug. 2 in the county, according to Whitman County Public Health’s website.

Skidmore said there has been an increase in cases among children 12 and younger, which is partly because they are unvaccinated.

About 98 percent — 1,056 people — of cases confirmed between February and June were in unvaccinated people, according to the report. Only 19 vaccinated individuals contracted COVID-19. Thirty-four percent of the county’s population is fully vaccinated, and 66 percent have had one dose.

“Anytime you have an unvaccinated population, that’s really when we expect to see the cases increase,” he said.

Because of an increase in hospitalizations in the state, some patients have been transferred to other, less-occupied hospitals in the state, Skidmore said, but he didn’t know if there had been any transfers in or out of Whitman County.

The number of college-aged individuals testing positive is now aligned with the proportion of the population they represent within the county.

Skidmore said students from Washington State University make up about 50 percent of Whitman County’s population, and about 50 percent of the new cases were confirmed in students. During the outbreaks that occurred late fall last year and in spring of this year, students made up the majority of cases in the area.

St. Joseph Regional Medical Center

Seven COVID-19 patients are being treated at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, according to an email from Sam Skinner, marketing and communications director.

An increase in new COVID-19 cases “has the potential to overwhelm” the local health care system, Skinner wrote. Residents are encouraged to get vaccinated to help prevent serious illness if they contract the virus.

The hospital’s employees are encouraged to get vaccinated. Unvaccinated medical workers wear a “higher level of respiratory protection,” Skinner wrote.

Library District requires masks

The Prairie River Library District is requiring all people entering the library to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status.

The decision was announced Friday in acknowledgment of the continuing state of flux of COVID-19 and its variants, the district announced in a news release.

“As the situation constantly evolves, we’re doing our best to adapt in ways that best ensure the health of our staff and patrons, while enabling us to continue providing as many services as possible,” the news release said.

If patrons don’t wish to wear a mask in the library, they can be served over the phone and arrange curbside pickup of materials. The digital library is open 24/7 and can be reached through the Libby app using a VALNet card to download ebooks and audiobooks for all ages.

The district includes libraries in Kamiah, Kooskia, Nezperce, Winchester, Lapwai, Craigmont, Culdesac and Peck. The library district office can be reached at (208) 843-7254 or by emailing headquarters@prld.org. More information is available at prld.org.

Carral may be contacted at jcarral@lmtribune.com or on Twitter at @jaycecarral.