Boise bar owner who ‘did everything right’ hospitalized with COVID. Here’s how to help.

People can debate whether Idaho bar owners did enough to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

And we can disagree whether it’s right to close down Boise bars again.

But one thing folks can’t argue about? COVID-19 is a terrible thing, and nobody deserves it.

Ryan Andrews, managing partner at Karma and 8th Street Social Club, 800 W. Idaho St., has been hospitalized with COVID-19.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with medical expenses.

Andrews, 42, who is married with four sons, was part of a recent column I wrote about downtown bars reopening in Boise — and the ensuing flood of customers on 8th Street. Andrews said he wanted to keep employees and guests safe. He even closed Karma’s doors early and turned away patrons after they refused to follow social distancing rules while waiting in line.

“ ... This isn’t about their good time,” Andrews told me, “it’s about safety.”

Nobody knows how Andrews picked up the virus, and whether it occurred at the bar, said Steve Masonheimer, also a managing partner at Karma. Andrews told him he feels like he’s had more interaction with the public recently while shopping at a home-improvement store for a house remodel project, Masonheimer said.

“It’s just crazy,” Masonheimer said. “It’s the one person that did everything right. I guess it just goes to show you.”

Andrews was hospitalized Friday. His case is not considered life-threatening, Masonheimer said. “He’s very stable but just feels miserable.”

In the meantime, a sick-looking Andrews has shared a few thoughts on Facebook.

“I took every precaution I could ad nauseam and look where it got me,” he wrote Monday. “This affects everyone differently. I wish you all the best.”

This story was originally published June 23, 2020 at 2:49 PM.