Idaho reports its 1st coronavirus deaths: 3 men over age 60
Idaho Gov. Brad Little issues a statewide stay-at-home order to further prevent spread of coronavirus at a press conference, Wednesday, March 25, 2020 held at Gowen Field, headquarters of the Idaho Army National Guard in Boise, Idaho. (Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman via AP)
Idaho Gov. Brad Little issues a 21-day stay-at-home order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus from the Idaho Military Division headquarters in Boise, Idaho, on Wednesday, March 25, 2020. Idaho has more than 91 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, spread throughout the state. The governor also issued a new "extreme emergency" declaration for the state, a step he said would allow him to take additional steps to expand the capacity of Idaho's health care system. (AP Photo/Keith Ridler)
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Three Idaho residents have become the first reported deaths in the state because of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, state health officials announced Thursday.
Two of the cases were in Blaine County, the epicenter of Idaho's outbreak. One was a man over the age of 60 and the the other was a man over age 80, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. It wasn't clear if either man had underlying health issues.
The third death was of a man over the age of 70 from Canyon County who had underlying health issues, officials said.
“This is very sad news, and we send our condolences to the families and friends of each of these individuals,” Elke Shaw-Tulloch, administrator for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare's Division of Public Health, said in a prepared statement.
So far, more than 146 Idaho residents have tested positive for the coronavirus.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms lasting two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
On Wednesday, Idaho Gov. Brad Little issued a 21-day statewide stay-at-home order in hopes of slowing the spread of the illness. Idaho's 1.75 million residents are required to self-isolate at home unless they are healthcare workers, public safety employees or “essential workers” such as grocery store employees.
He scheduled a news conference Friday to discuss resources for the newly unemployed and to explain what it means for the state's finances.
The number of Idaho residents filing for unemployment benefits jumped to about 2,000 a day starting in mid-March after averaging 146 a day since Jan. 1, the Idaho Department of Labor said. More than 13,300 people filed claims last week, a 1,200% increase over the previous week, the agency said.
"The people who have been impacted by this, a lot of them have never filed before," said Leah Reeder, a department spokeswoman.
Sectors hit hard by layoffs include the food service industry with the closing of restaurants and a portion of the healthcare industry that mainly performs elective surgeries or non-essential procedures. With schools closed across the state, teachers comprise a significant component of those filing claims, Reeder said.
The department's offices are closed to the public to prevent the spread of the virus, and officials are encouraging people to file unemployment claims online. Those without internet access can call, but wait times were so long Thursday afternoon they were timing out at 55 minutes and being disconnected.