The White House Coronavirus Task Force has encouraged University of Idaho and other Idaho universities to move online due to a recent uptick in positivity rates, according to the Oct. 4 task force report for Idaho.
The report, originally obtained by the Center for Public Integrity, indicates that there is an 80.7% positivity rate in 18- to 24-year-olds in Latah County. Idaho is classified as a Red Zone for both cases, which means 101 or more new cases per 100,000 people were reported last week, and testing, which means there is a 10.1% COVID-19 testing positivity rate.
Jodi Walker, UI’s director of communications, said this would be of great concern if it were true, but the data is incorrect. The data local public health districts are reporting is nowhere close to 80% positivity, and UI will not be using the report as a basis for decisions, Walker said.
According to Gritman Medical Center, 6.03% of COVID-19 tests last week came back positive, although no specific age range was specified for this data. Public Health – Idaho North Central District, which oversees Latah County, does not report positivity rates. As of Oct. 8, 493 of the 674 total COVID-19 cases in the county were in 18- to 29-year-olds.
Along with the suggestion for university closures, the task force report states “it would help to clarify public health stance(s) through strong recommendations for social distancing and requirements for face coverings in all indoor settings outside of the home” in areas with considerable positivity rates.
This article has been edited to add comment from Jodi Walker and clarify the available data.
UI Dean of Students Blaine Eckles could not be reached for comment.
Cody Roberts can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @CodyRobReports.
Christian
Once again, to no ones surprise, UI’s admin is worried kore about money than lives. You fail me again. And again. And again. I’ve lost all respect.