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St. Luke’s Now Requiring Masks
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Tuesday, May 12, 2020
 

STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

The Lone Ranger would fit right in at St. Luke’s Wood these days, as the hospital is now requiring masking for patients, visitors, vendors and staff in all clinical facilities.

Masks will be provided to patients and visitors as they enter a patient care facility and will be required in all patient care environments and common areas, such as hallways, lobbies, waiting rooms and elevators.

Patients and visitors may use their own masks if they prefer.

Hospital officials are considering how this policy applies to non-COVID patients in their rooms when they aren’t within six feet of others. Until that decision is made, patients should practice social distancing and masking when six feet of distance is not possible.

The masking requirements align with current recommendations by the Centers for Disease control to reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure and transmission.

The hospital is alco giving wristbands to visitors and vendors who have successfully completed the new thermal and COVID-19 symptom screening process to ensure everyone in the facilities has been properly screened. Different colored wristbands will be assigned each day of the week.

Patients and employees will not need wristbands.

No visitor will be permitted if they exhibit a respiratory infection, including fever, cough, shortness of breath and chills; if they’ve had contact with someone suspected to have COVID-19 in the past 14 days, or if they have nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, muscle pain, headache, sore throat or new loss of taste of smell.

In addition, St. Luke’s Health System has updated the list of symptoms associated with COVID-19 to align with the expanded list of symptoms recently identified by the Centers for Disease Control.

New symptoms, include chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell. Already on the list were cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever and gastrointestinal symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea and nausea.

To see who is permitted as a visitor go to:

https://www.stlukesonline.org/blogs/st-lukes/notes-and-announcements/2020/may/st-lukes-covid-19-coronavirus-announcement

COMMISSIONER TOUTS VALUE OF MASKS

Commissioner Jacob Greenberg on Monday reminded Blaine County residents why they should wear cloth face coverings:

“Recent studies suggest that the virus that causes COVID-19 spreads through droplets that are generated during coughing, sneezing and talking,” Greenberg said. “These droplets can travel up to six feet and survive on surfaces for a long time. Because of this, social distancing is extremely crucial in slowing the spread of the virus by reducing exposure to the droplets.”

Studies also indicate that some individuals with COVID-19 lack symptoms, but they can still be contagious up to 48 hours before the onset of symptoms, Greenberg added: “Cloth face coverings protect the public from those that may be infected with COVID-19.”

STILL TRACING

After four new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Blaine County on Saturday, an Eye on Sun Valley reader asked if public health officials are still tracing and contacting people those with COVID have come in contact with.

Yes, the South-Central Public Health District is doing 100 percent contact tracing, said Brianna Bodily, the district’s public information officer. “All close contacts of confirmed cases will be notified by us and will be monitored during the incubation period.”

OUT OF STATE RESIDENTS DON’T COUNT

Another reader asked about those who have tested positive for coronavirus in Blaine County but declare another state as their primary residence.

Those people are counted in their home state’s totals, not in Idaho’s. And, no, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare doesn’t keep tabs on how many test positive here but live elsewhere.

HOT SPOT IN TWIN

Idaho gained 14 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus on Monday. That brings the state’s total to 2,260 cases.

Sadly, there were three new deaths reported bringing the state’s total to 70. Two new deaths were reported in Ada County and one in Canyon County.

Blaine County has three new cases for 506 total. That’s seven in the last two reporting days.

Twin Falls County was the hot spot for coronavirus in the state last week. The county accounted for 35 percent of Idaho’s new confirmed coronavirus cases, gaining 42. It now has 223 all told.

Ada County has the most at 691; Blaine County has 506, and Canyon County has 254.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Hairdressers in Paris are now charging a “participation fee” covering the new disposable protective gear they need for each customer.

  • In Seoul, where one nightclub customer has been linked to at least 85 new infections, the government is tracking 5,500 people who visited the nightclub district via credit-card transactions, security camera footage and mobile-phone records.

 

 

 

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