Idaho state officials announced several new tidbits related to Covid on Thursday.
State Epidemiologist Christine Hahn announced that Idaho will remain in phase four, the last phase, of its Covid protocol. She says coronavirus case numbers continue to increase.
“I just want to make it clear: many parts of the state are seeing these increases. We are concerned with fall coming on, more people in school, more people inside, that we will continue to struggle with rising case numbers," Hahn said.
Governor Brad Little announced the federal government is sending 35,000 Covid rapid antigen tests to Idaho. Hahn says the state expects to get them out to local health districts by next week.
“The main priority is going to be for teachers and staff. We want to make sure we can keep those schools open. They can’t operate if the teachers aren’t there or the staff aren’t there. These tests were designed for symptomatic, or sick, people. That said, the federal government has given us allowance to use it, potentially, for surveillance or asymptomatic," Hahn said.
The governor also announced he’s creating a task force to help him plan for how to distribute a Covid vaccine, when one becomes available.
Hahn says the vaccine will likely be distributed to health care and other essential workers first.
“The goal is that nobody will need to pay a cent for the vaccine. The federal government has purchased the vaccine. It will be provided free and doctors that offer those immunizations can bill insurance. For people who are uninsured, we are working on processes so that the doctors can be reimbursed through another mechanism, not by collecting money from the patient," she said.