BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced Monday morning that it will be ending crisis standards of care for the northern Idaho area.
The Panhandle Health District, which includes Benewah, Boundary, Bonner, Kootenai, and Shoshone counties was the only area of the state still under crisis standards of care.
The rest of the state was deactivated on Nov. 22.
IDHW director Dave Jeppesen said that the number of COVID-19 patients is still high in northern Idaho and the healthcare systems there are still stressed, the amount of patients is no longer exceeding the resources available.
RELATED: Latest Idaho COVID-19 case and vaccine numbers: Interactive graphs and maps tracking the pandemic
“While this is good news for Idaho, we’re still watching the Omicron variant very closely because this is a precarious time,” said DHW Director Dave Jeppesen in a press release. “Omicron seems to spread more easily between people, and we all need to keep taking precautions against COVID-19 by getting vaccinated or getting a booster dose, wearing masks in crowded areas, physically distancing from others, washing our hands frequently, and staying home if we’re sick to avoid overwhelming our healthcare systems again.”
Jeppesen also said that while Idaho's healthcare systems are no longer under crisis standards of care, many are still strained and have other restrictions in place, and that it will take time for them to catch up on delayed surgeries and other medical treatments.
IDHW says that the state will also continue monitoring the Omicron variant in Idaho.
The first case of the Omicron variant was detected in Idaho in early December.
Facts not fear: More on coronavirus
See our latest updates in our YouTube playlist: