STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

The high volume of healthy people calling St. Luke’s clinics and emergency departments or coming to facilities is affecting caregivers’ ability to provide care for those in need, said Carmen Jacobsen, chief operating officer at St. Luke’s Wood River, on Saturday.

Indeed nurses stood outside the hospital’s walk-in clinic on Saturday prescreening people.

Individuals who have had close contact with a person with known novel coronavirus or who develop a fever, cough or difficulty breathing after traveling to an area with an ongoing spread should contact their primary care provider to do a risk assessment over phone. Testing will not be performed for people not exhibiting symptoms.

If you do not have a primary care provider, contact St. Luke’s Wood River Family Medicine at 208-788-3434 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. After hours call 208-381-9000. Or, call the care line at 211.

If you must visit the emergency department, call ahead and ask for a protective face mask when you arrive.

St. Luke’s has been taking steps to be prepared for COVID-19 since early January, said Jacobsen.

“As the situation continues to evolve, you may see us taking additional steps, including putting up tents for screening and signs regarding access into our facilities,” she added. “This is all part of our surge planning. This proactive planning helps us prepare to adjust to the evolving circumstances we may encounter.”