Official expects Pullman viral activity to drop

Whitman County Health Department Director Troy Henderson said he expects COVID-19 viral activity to decrease in Pullman in the coming days.

The University of Idaho in Moscow, meanwhile, is reporting an increase in viral activity among people who traveled during Labor Day weekend.

Whitman County received 59 new positive COVID-19 test results from Saturday, Sunday and Monday. This brings the county’s total to 1,171.

The newest patients include 28 people under the age of 20, 29 people between ages 20-39, one person between ages 40-59 and one person between ages 60-79. All of the patients are considered stable and self-isolating.

One person who had previously tested positive is still hospitalized.

Henderson told the Whitman County commissioners on Monday that he expects there to be an overall decrease in viral activity, particularly in Pullman.

“I’m feeling pretty confident that it has gone down and we’re moving in the right direction for a number of reasons,” he said.

He said the county will have clearer information on the viral activity later this week. The number of new cases dropped last week, but that was mainly because COVID-19 testing sites were interrupted by the poor air quality. Testing has now resumed at those sites.

Henderson said one reason he believes there will be a decrease in viral activity is a “net migration” of people leaving Pullman. He said on any given day, people are leaving Pullman and not coming back.

Henderson also credited the Pullman Police Department’s enforcement of parties as another contributing factor to the decrease in viral activity. The police are now issuing infractions to people hosting and attending parties where mask and social distancing violations are found.

Henderson said because of the number of people who have been infected, there is now acquired immunity among those in the 18-25-year-old demographic. The surge in COVID-19 cases in the past month has primarily involved patients in that age range.

Henderson said it is still unclear how long acquired immunity lasts. He said the first documented person to catch COVID-19 twice tested positive again five or six months after he was infected the first time. He was also asymptomatic the second time after experiencing severe symptoms the first time.

In Latah County, 16 people tested positive during the past weekend and Monday. That includes 12 patients ages 18-29, one person between ages 5-12, two people in their 30s and one in their 50s.

University of Idaho President Scott Green informed the public of an increase in viral activity among UI employees and students who traveled during Labor Day weekend.

Last week, the UI tested 531 people and found 25, or 4.71 percent, tested positive. This is an increase over previous weeks.

“For those who traveled, some have inadvertently and unknowingly brought the virus back to Moscow,” Green wrote in a memo Monday. “Our testing results for last week found 25 primarily asymptomatic, positive cases in students and employees residing both on and off campus. While we asked everyone to stay in Moscow, not everyone did.”

Green is asking anyone who traveled the weekend after Labor Day to get tested this week. Testing is free and available Wednesday and Thursday at the Student Recreation Center.

“For those who traveled and have not yet tested, we strongly recommend that you do before returning to classes,” Green said. “There is no defense for those who travel out of our community, then return and, as a result of not being tested, infect others.”

Idaho County has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases in recent days, and it is largely because of infections at the North Idaho Correctional Institution in Cottonwood. According to Jeff Ray, spokesman for Idaho Department of Correction, 88 prisoners and three staff members tested positive for COVID-19 following tests administered Sept. 16.

On Monday, Public Health-Idaho North Central District reported 91 new cases in Idaho County since Saturday.

Anthony Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.