Idaho ‘almost didn’t make it,’ but Gov. Little moves ahead with Stage 4 of reopening
Idaho Gov. Brad Little opted Thursday to move forward with reopening Idaho, despite some discouraging coronavirus numbers that nearly forced him to slow down the process.
Beginning Saturday, large venues can get back in business and groups of more than 50 people may assemble.
Little said the state would move to Stage 4, which allows nightclubs and larger venues to reopen, but said it’s vital for business operators to follow state safety guidelines.
The governor’s stay-home orders and the closing of businesses in response to the coronavirus pandemic have created economic hardships around Idaho, but Little said taking no action “would have been a catastrophe” and created deeper hardships. Now, “100% of businesses will be able to open their doors as we enter Stage 4,” Little said.
Idaho’s daily coronavirus caseload increased by more than 50% through Stages 2 and 3, going by the 14-day average, but state officials have used a different formula than the one first described in early May to determine trends.
Instead of basing trends on the 14-day moving average, as the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare said it would, the department is using the day-to-day numbers within the 14-day evaluation window leading up to each stage decision.
That’s how IDHW reported a “downward trend” in new cases Thursday, despite the 14-day average climbing from 29 cases per day at the end of Stage 2 to 37.2 cases per day at the end of Stage 3. The state would have met this portion of the criteria anyway because the positive testing percentage was below 5%, although the governor’s office didn’t provide the final number.
Using day-to-day numbers is also how IDHW reported a downward trend in new health care worker infections despite reporting 0.5 per day during Stage 2 and 2 per day during Stage 3 — four times as many.
And the health care workers trend was the difference in advancing to Stage 4.
The governor’s criteria requires fewer than 2 health care worker infections reported per day or a downward trend. The downward trend was determined because no health care workers were reported ill Sunday or Tuesday after 14 were reported in a three-day span from June 3 to June 5.
Little reiterated the need for everyone in the state to take action against the spread of the virus. He said Idaho “almost didn’t make it” to the next phase of reopening. And he said that across the state and nation, the coronavirus is spreading to rural areas where health care is limited.
“This isn’t just a Boise and Treasure Valley issue,” he said.
As of Wednesday, Idaho showed that more than 2,900 people had tested positive for the coronavirus and 85 people had died. Community spread had been confirmed in 24 of Idaho’s 44 counties, and more than 340 health care workers had contracted the virus.
The most effective way to mitigate the spread of the virus is through personal actions: washing your hands, wearing face coverings and staying home when you’re sick.
“Even if contracting COVID-19 is low on your personal concerns, I urge you to practice safe measures to protect others,” Little said.
Changes with Stage 4
Moving into Stage 4, the state will allow groups of more than 50 people to gather “where appropriate physical distancing” can happen.
Large venues, such as sports stadiums and arenas, can reopen, and nightclubs may reopen with standing-room capacity.
Employers can resume unrestricted staffing but should continue to practice physical distancing and good sanitation policies. Special accommodations should still be made for employees who are at a high risk for coronavirus complications. That includes people who have pre-existing health conditions or are older than 65.
Visits to senior living facilities and congregate facilities, such as jails and prisons, may occur now.
Records released last Friday by the state found that there have been 289 coronavirus infections at 25 care facilities in Idaho. The facilities include nursing homes, assisted living facilities and group homes — of which there are about 400 operating in the state.
Dave Jeppesen, director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, said he’s simultaneously nervous and excited that loved ones will be able to visit family in care facilities, but he emphasized the need to take heed to the protocols and sanitation guidelines issued by the state, which were made available online shortly after the press conference.
“We know a case in a long-term-care facility can be devastating,” Jeppesen said. “Those facilities will have very clear guidelines and approaches to both keep those residents and staff safe, as well as those that are visiting.”
In the protocols listed for long-term care facilities, the state outlined the minimum criteria needed for such facilities to open. Among them is the requirement that a facility must go 28 days without staff or residents reporting a coronavirus case. Visitors to facilities will also be required to schedule a visit in advance, according to the state’s guidelines.
As of Wednesday, the Idaho Department of Correction was still reporting that it had no reports of inmates testing positive for the virus in prison. The department has not been accepting in-person visits to inmates since the pandemic began.
Back in business
Since Stage 3 began on May 30, nearly all Idaho businesses were allowed to reopen.
While the governor has asked businesses to comply with social distancing recommendations and encouraged people to wear masks, there is no mandate that businesses do this.
On Tuesday, Little announced a new initiative, called ONE Idaho, that asks businesses to reopen responsibly. ONE Idaho calls on businesses to limit close interactions, maintain 6-foot physical distancing within their establishments, and step up cleaning efforts. The public is asked to practice social distancing, wash hands thoroughly and regularly, wear protective face coverings in public, and stay home if sick.
Unemployment benefits and delays
With record-high unemployment numbers amid the pandemic, some Idaho residents still have not received their unemployment checks after being laid off.
Laid-off Idaho workers have filed 136,901 initial claims for unemployment benefits during the nine weeks of the COVID-19 state of emergency – 2.3 times the total number of initial claims filed in all of 2019, according to the Idaho Department of Labor.
In May, the Statesman reported that many of those people faced long waits for those benefits.
Last Friday, Little announced that the state will offer $1,500 bonuses to unemployed Idahoans who return to work rather than stay on unemployment, where many of them collect bigger checks than their jobs pay.
The bonuses were financed with up to $100 million in federal relief funds.
Little said Thursday that the state is continuing to change and update what is needed to improve the unemployment system. He believes the state is on a path to address all matters within weeks, but said he doesn’t deny there have been shortcomings.
“The state and federal government did fail, I readily admit that,” Little said of the issues surrounding unemployment. He said the system was overloaded, and the state is still taking steps to address the issues.
During the economic and public health crisis, the Idaho Foodbank recently reported seeing record numbers of food-insecure Idahoans. An estimated one in six Idahoans may not have enough food to eat this year, according to the analysis from Feeding America, largely because of job loss and then a long delay in getting unemployment benefits.
This story was originally published June 11, 2020 at 10:27 AM.
