Idaho now has 23 COVID-19 cases

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) – Governor Brad Little held a press conference Thursday to update Idahoans on community spread of the novel coronavirus.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Idaho continues to grow, with 12 new cases in central Idaho's Blaine County announced Thursday and Gov. Brad Little placing the region under mandatory isolation orders in an effort to stop community spread of the illness.

You can watch the press conference below.

Six individuals are male: one in his 30's, four in their 40's, and one in his 50's.

Six individuals are female: one under 20 years old, two in their 30's, two in their 50's, and one in her 70's.

Blaine County currently has a total of 17 individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19. One individual's home state is not Idaho. That person relocated to their home state, and officials are showing 16 cases in Blaine County because that individual's home state is taking over the investigation.

There are 23 total confirmed cases in the state. That breaks down to 16 in Blaine County, three in Ada County, one in Twin Falls County, one in Kootenai County, one in Madison County and one in Teton County.

“My office and members of my Coronavirus Working Group are fully engaged with the South Central Public Health District, Blaine County Commissioners, and mayors in that area to ensure a strong response is in place. Our number one priority is to slow the spread of the virus in that community and outside of it. To ensure that happens, the director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare will issue an isolation order for residents in the area. We are still working on the details, and residents will still have essential services available to them, such as access to grocery stores and, of course, healthcare," Gov. Little said.

The highest concentration of confirmed cases are in central Idaho, in a region that includes several popular vacation spots like the Sun Valley Resort. Little said his isolation order would be similar to the guidelines that he recommended for the rest of the state, except that they would be mandatory.

“I urge everyone to be even more vigilant of the preventative measures to slow the spread of coronavirus. And most of all, I continue to urge Idahoans to take care of each other. Be mindful of our actions. Find someone you can help. We will get through this together.”