Rising COVID-19 cases pause jury trials in North Idaho

Jury trials will be paused again in North Idaho due to rising COVID-19 cases.

Trials in the Panhandle Health District, which includes Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, will be suspended for the week starting Monday.

The order states counties within a public health district where Idaho’s crisis standards of care are activated should pause jury trials and grand jury proceedings.

Those standards mean health facilities may have to ration care because of high demand.

Last week, Idaho officials moved most of the state out of crisis standards of care, aside from North Idaho.

The order also states jury trials must be postponed in counties where the seven-day moving average COVID-19 incidence rate is at least 25 cases per 100,000. As of last Wednesday, all five counties had incident rates greater than 25, the highest being Benewah , which had 122.9 cases per 100,000.

The order was signed Friday by Rich Christensen, administrative district judge for the First Judicial District.

Here’s a look at today’s numbers

The Spokane Regional Health District reported 216 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday. There are 68 people hospitalized with the virus in Spokane.

One additional death from the virus was reported Tuesday, bringing the total to 1,093.

The Panhandle Health District reported 171 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday. It reported one additional death, bringing the five-county district total to 711 deaths due to the virus.

There are 77 Panhandle residents hospitalized with the virus.