Coronavirus: Boise will test wastewater for virus; another Towne Square store reopens
After being shelved due to the coronavirus outbreak, e-scooters are slowly coming back in Boise.
Spin and Bird will put the pay-as-you-go scooters back downtown. If you were to open the Spin app in your smartphone, you would see dozens of scooters available for use now, and Bird will be available starting Wednesday.
Bird is also debuting free rides to health care and emergency personnel while offering scooting as a “solitary commute option” that encourages social distancing.
Spin says it is taking additional steps to improve safety and health for riders. The company says it is cleaning each scooter every time it enters a company warehouse. If a scooter is used more frequently, it is cleaned and sanitized more frequently.
Spin is also encouraging riders to wear a mask while using the scooter, as well as use hand sanitizer or wash your hands before and after the ride.
Lime also has brought scooters back to Boise, the company announced Tuesday. It released a limited fleet, which a company spokesperson said was intended to help employees traveling to their workplaces who don’t want to take public transit or who cannot because of service reductions.
Boise to test wastewater for COVID-19
The city of Boise will begin testing wastewater to gather new information about possible asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 as well as on what areas may have more cases.
Working with Biobot, a Massachusetts-based company that specializes in wastewater epidemiology, the city will collect water from five predominantly residential locations across the city. It will be tested, according to a news release, with results expected to city officials by the end of the month.
“This is a new and proactive way to provide our experts and decision makers critical data to get a fuller picture of COVID-19 in our community,” Steve Burgos, the city’s Public Works director, said in the release. “We jumped at the opportunity to help our community in any way possible.”
Biobot is testing water samples in 42 states and 15 countries.
ITD, Treasure Valley leaders push for use of online DMV resources
State and county officials are facing a steep backlog of people needing to utilize their local Department of Motor Vehicles.
Elected officials around the Treasure Valley, as well as officials with the Idaho Transportation Department, are urging those needing to renew licences or registrations to do so online.
There are a number of actions you can do through ITD’s website: renew your license or ID; purchase a replacement license or ID; purchase your driving record; renew vehicle registration; and order personalized plates.
You should go to a DMV location only if absolutely necessary, said Alberto Gonzalez, DMV administrator with ITD, while speaking with reporters Tuesday. Gonzalez said that the state currently has a backlog of 100,000 customers who have not been able to go into a DMV location due to the pandemic. That figure includes those who need a driver’s license or ID, vehicle registration or vehicle title.
Fortunately, the use of online renewals has gone up recently, Gonzalez said, but the backlog still remains.
Ada County Sheriff Steve Bartlett said that by renewing online, DMVs will be able to better serve those who have to physically go to a DMV to get a license for the first time, or those who have moved from out of state.
“If you can renew online we highly suggest it and highly encourage it,” Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue said Tuesday.
Another large store to reopen at Boise Towne Square mall
Yet another large department store at the Boise Towne Square mall will reopen later this week.
Nordstrom Rack, a part of the mall’s outer complex, will open Thursday, May 21. The company said in a press release Monday that stores around the country will continue to open as permitted by local and state governments.
The store will open with increased health measures, such as screening employees before work and increasing the amount of cleaning and sanitation. Nordstrom Rack will also provide face coverings for employees and customers.
Nordstrom Rack is the latest Towne Square mall store to open. Large anchor stores such as Kohl’s, Macy’s, J.C. Penney and Dillard’s opened earlier this month. J.C. Penney has filed for bankruptcy protection and will close about one-third of its stores, but the fate of its Idaho locations is not known.
Self-employed people can get cash grants
Gov. Brad Little announced Monday that people who are self-employed may be eligible for cash grants worth up to $7,500 to help relieve financial loss caused by COVID-19.
The application cycle for self-employed people will start May 27. Applicants will need to make a Taxpayer Access Point account with the Idaho State Tax Commission and are encouraged to do so before the cycle begins.
To be eligible, the business must account for at least 50% of household income. The applicant must agree not to apply for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and must not have received compensation from an insurance company for business interruptions. More information is available at the Idaho Rebounds website.
New deaths reported in Ada, Twin Falls counties
The state’s death toll grew by two on Monday, as single deaths were reported in Ada and Twin Falls counties, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
Ada County has 23 reported coronavirus-related deaths. Twin Falls has the third-most deaths in the state with 15, second to Nez Perce County, which has 19.
In total, Idaho has 75 reported deaths related to the coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 respiratory disease.
In addition to the new fatalities, three dozen new cases of the coronavirus were reported around Idaho on Monday. The newly reported cases reflect Sunday and Monday, as health officials no longer report new cases on Sundays. New cases were reported in Ada, Twin Falls, Jerome and Minidoka counties, among others.
Washington County’s case count continues to rise, adding six more cases Monday. The county’s outbreak is tied to a Fry Foods plant in Weiser, one of the town’s major employers. As of Monday, 20 workers have tested positive for the coronavirus. The county had 28 confirmed cases as of Monday evening.
There are 2,240 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Idaho as of Monday.
Cases have been found in 33 of Idaho’s 44 counties: Ada 728, Adams 3, Bannock 12, Bingham 6, Blaine 497, Bonner 4, Bonneville 18, Camas 1, Canyon 256, Caribou 1, Cassia 18, Custer 2, Elmore 30, Fremont 2, Gem 12, Gooding 22, Idaho 3, Jefferson 5, Jerome 87, Kootenai 66, Latah 5, Lemhi 1, Lincoln 27, Madison 12, Minidoka 15, Nez Perce 70, Owyhee 8, Payette 18, Power 3, Teton 10, Twin Falls 268, Valley 2 and Washington 28.
Community spread has been detected in 18 Idaho counties: Ada, Bannock, Bingham, Blaine, Bonneville, Canyon, Elmore, Gem, Jefferson, Jerome, Kootenai, Lemhi, Owyhee, Madison, Minidoka, Payette, Teton and Twin Falls.
This story was originally published May 19, 2020 at 12:00 PM.
