Idaho discourages events with 50 or more people; President Trump goes even further
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare on Monday issued recommendations and guidance for venues and residents planning events of more than 50 people, saying experts are supportive of cancellations.
Idaho public health experts will support any decision made by a venue or event manager to postpone or cancel mass gatherings and public events, according to the statement.
The statement was issued after Idaho saw positive cases of coronavirus, the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease. The cancellations are not mandatory at this time.
Idaho issued the guidelines the same day that President Donald Trump said people should avoid gathering in groups of 10 or more, stop discretionary travel and not go to restaurants and bars for at least the next 15 days.
For the purpose of this guidance, the state deemed “mass gatherings and events” as a public gathering for business, social, academic or recreational activities including, but not limited to, community, civic, public, educational, leisure or sporting events. The list includes parades, concerts, festivals, conventions, fundraisers and similar activities.
The state recommends that, for the next eight weeks, any event involving 50 or more people be canceled or postponed.
Also, smaller events that will draw audiences or participants from communities, states or countries with confirmed community spread of COVID-19 disease should be canceled under the recommendations. Organizers of the events are encouraged to consult with their public health district in making this determination.
Additionally, the state believes events should be canceled if the primary audience of an event is expected to be over the age of 60, or may expose high-risk populations, such as people with underlying chronic medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes, regardless of the number of attendees.
Multiple Treasure Valley schools and businesses have seen closures this week due to an effort to stop the spread of the virus.
Long-term housing guidance
The state also issued guidance for facilities that have populations of people who undergo long-term housing, such as care facilities, correctional centers or shelters.
“Idaho public health experts recommend that facilities housing large numbers of people implement policies now to minimize risk to their populations by limiting visitors, providing proper handwashing and hygiene facilities for staff, visitors and residents and enhancing screening for staff and visitors for symptoms of COVID-19,” according to the guidance.
The Canyon County jail is home to more than 400 people on a daily basis, but spokesman Joe Decker wrote in an email last week that staffers are prepared.
“There are procedures in place with the jail medical staff to address health issues within the facility. They have also been working closely with Southwest District Health and other health providers to identify the possible scenarios (such as an inmate or deputy testing positive) that could occur and how those would each be handled,” Decker wrote.
Canyon County jail staff are also taking extra precautions during the booking process and finalizing a written protocol for deputies and inmates in terms of best practices in the event that they have a suspected or confirmed case in jail.
At the state level, the Idaho Department of Correction houses thousands of inmates on a daily basis.
IDOC issued a Facebook post Sunday, saying it has canceled inmate visiting and volunteer services to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 illness to staff and the inmate population. They have also taken extra precautions with cleaning the prisons.
Last week, IDOC spokesman Jeff Ray told the Statesman that “extra precautions are being taken when people who are newly sentenced to the department’s custody arrive … . In addition to having their health evaluated, our staff screen people for possible exposure to COVID-19.”
The Ada County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement about how it plans to keep the inmate population safe. The Ada County Jail also is taking additional precaution when booking new inmates.
“If an inmate comes into the jail with flu-like symptoms (including fever, cough and shortness of breath) and tells us they may have the coronavirus or have recently visited mainland China, Iran, Italy, Japan or South Korea, they will be immediately given a mask and placed into one of our holding rooms in booking, which have negative pressure,” according to the sheriff’s statement. “The booking nurse will then complete a medical assessment. If the patient has a temperature of over 100.4 degrees and shows symptoms of respiratory illness, the nurse will contact our on-call medical provider and Central District Health to determine the best course of action, which would include testing as soon as possible.”
Ada County is also considering limiting non-essential public access to the jail.
More on COVID-19
The symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, sore throat, joint and bone pain, headache and chills.
The coronavirus is believed to have a higher mortality rate than seasonal flu, especially among the elderly and people with other health conditions or compromised immune systems.
Anyone who believes they may have coronavirus should contact their medical provider. If they don’t have a primary care provider, residents can call 2-1-1 or call a local health care clinic for advice.
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 11:42 AM.
