Palouse health officials report big uptick in virus cases
Jan. 19—The latest COVID-19 numbers from local health officials show a new death, six new hospitalizations and hundreds of new COVID-19 cases in the region since Friday.
Public Health — Idaho North Central District on Tuesday reported one new death and 104 new cases in Latah County. This is the second-most cases reported in the county since November 2020.
There have been 4,902 confirmed cases, 386 probable cases and 42 deaths in the county since the beginning of the pandemic. Whitman County on Tuesday reported a new record 170 cases. It also reported six new hospitalizations and no new deaths.
There have been 744 cases reported in Whitman County between Jan. 3 and Sunday.
On Friday, Whitman County Public Health Director Chris Skidmore warned about the record-setting transmission of COVID-19 caused by the highly contagious omicron variant.
"We are asking that residents take caution when planning or attending large indoor events," Skidmore said in a statement. "It is imperative that we, as a community, do everything we can to limit the pressure on our healthcare system."
He also urged people to consider wearing higher-quality masks, such as N95 or KN95 masks, and get vaccinated.
