Kootenai County experienced its first significant wave of COVID-19 cases in the summer of 2020, with the Panhandle Health District reporting a rapid increase that strained local resources. By June, the county had recorded its second-largest single-day jump in cases, reaching 169 confirmed infections.
The surge came shortly after restaurants, salons, and gyms reopened under Stage 2 of Governor Brad Little’s Rebound Idaho plan. When those businesses reopened on May 16, the Panhandle Health District had reported just 68 cases. Within weeks, that number more than doubled.
Health officials urged continued vigilance as cases spread across all age groups. Of the cases tracked by the health district, 112 were in people ages 19 to 49, while 79 were in residents age 50 and older. Twenty-four cases involved people 18 and younger.