BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced Tuesday afternoon that it was lifting the crisis standards of care designation for southern Idaho as the COVID-19 situation improves.
Crisis standards had been put in place for Southwest District Health, Central District Health, and South Central District Health in January due to shortages of staff and blood products. Those shortages have stabilized, officials say, although some hospitals remain under stress.
"Even though things are improving, the number of COVID-19 cases statewide and the testing percent positivity is still very high," said DHW Director Dave Jeppesen. "Please continue to take the recommended precautions and get vaccinated and boosted, wear a mask in public places, and stay home if you feel sick so those numbers keep trending in the right direction."
Many hospitals and clinics around Idaho are still in contingency standards, signaling that circumstances are getting better but remain variable. It could be some time before all healthcare systems are back to normal operations.
Idaho will continue to coordinate healthcare statewide and bring in more healthcare workers through FEMA and federal contracts to help.
At KTVB, we’re focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the virus. To see our full coverage, visit our coronavirus section, here: www.ktvb.com/coronavirus.
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