UPDATED: Health department reports 4 new cases of COVID-19, bringing Idaho total to 9

UPDATED (3/18, 10:30 a.m.): Eastern Idaho Public Health announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Madison County Tuesday afternoon. Officials made the announcement at the Madison County Courthouse.

The new case involved a Brigham Young University-Idaho student in his 20s, who had recently traveled out-of-state to a COVID-19 affected area. The man is recovering in self-isolation with mild symptoms and did not require hospitalization.

Tuesday evening, South Central Public Health announced a fourth case in Blaine County. According to a news release, the woman over the age of 80 is recovering under isolation in a local hospital.

This makes for the four new confirmed cases announced on Tuesday, bringing the state total to nine.

KMVT will add more information as it becomes available.

INITIAL STORY (3/17):

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported two new cases of coronavirus COVID-19 in the state as of Tuesday morning. This bring the state total to seven cases.

The new cases are in Ada and Blaine counties. This brings the total number of cases in Ada and Blaine counties to three each and one case in Teton County.

Idaho DHW said the new Ada County case included a woman under the age of 50, who reported mild symptoms and was not hospitalized. The woman is recovering in isolation in her home and her case is not connected to the others in the county. Health officials believe the coronavirus was picked up from traveling.

The South Central Public Health District confirmed a third case of a woman over the age of 50. She is reportedly recovering well in her home under isolation and she was not hospitalized. Her point of transmission is still under investigation.

The DHW will no longer be announcing individual confirmed cases of the coronavirus through press releases, but will have the latest number online at https://coronavirus.idaho.gov/. The department will issue news releases for significant events related to the pandemic.