NAMPA — Local hospitals have seen a spike in recent flu cases in the past week, this comes after a slow start to the influenza season in the Treasure Valley.
The flu is hitting other parts of the country really hard to the point where visitation has been restricted, however, that is not the case here in Idaho.
"In Idaho we have a lot of flu activity, but it is still at a fairly manageable level so we have not felt the need to restrict visitors," said Jerrie Hammonds an infection prevention nurse at St. Luke's in Nampa.
Hammonds said that as the flu season continues it is important for staff, patients and visitors to all be vigilant in the effort to prevent the spread of the flu.
St. Luke's in Nampa has respiration stations, hand sanitizer, masks, gloves, gowns and they also ask visitors who have symptoms of the flu to self report to protect everybody in the hospital.
Hospitals across the Treasure Valley work together with the Idaho State Health Department and infectious disease providers to come up with a uniform system, if the hospitals ever decided they needed to restrict visitor access it would be done across the valley.
The last time visitors were restricted at local hospitals was ten years ago because of the H1N1 virus.
In other hospital news because of St. Luke's expansion people need to be aware that a historic house will be on the move from downtown to the Boise Bench, the move is scheduled to happen from 9:00 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Thursday night.
In the coming weeks three more houses will move and people need to be aware because it's a fluid process because of the difficulty that comes with moving a home across town.
