Coronavirus: Little says state failed on unemployment pay. YMCA closes, Village opens
Gov. Brad Little said Thursday that the state had failed in rolling out unemployment-payment programs for Idahoans speedily.
The Idaho Department of Labor has yet to clear a backlog of tens of thousands of unpaid claims placed into pending status because of questions about eligibility. In a news conference Thursday, Little acknowledged that the problem persists, but he said the state is making progress.
“We believe we’re on a pathway to have all these (claims) addressed in a matter of weeks,” he said. “The numbers we were looking at two weeks ago were a matter of months.”
The federal government failed too, Little said. He said federal officials gave the state conflicting guidance about how to let self-employed people, who normally do not qualify for unemployment compensation, become certified to receive the money.
He also said Idaho lacks an automated system that some states have to allow applicants to solve some problems without waiting for the state to look into them.
State pumps out $383 million in jobless pay
Idaho says it has spent $383 million so far, mostly in federal funds, on unemployment compensation for workers who lost jobs since March in the coronavirus pandemic.
Most unemployment claims came in the first five of the 12 weeks since Gov. Brad Little’s March 13 declaration of emergency triggered widespread business closures and layoffs.
Two-thirds of the money, $258 million, is federal money spent on the $600 temporary weekly federal supplements to the state’s regular unemployment assistance program. The regular program, which pays $72 to $458 per week — typically $316 per week, according to the Idaho Department of Labor — has paid out $112 million in state money raised through a tax on employers.
The rest of the money has been spent in two smaller programs that, like the $600 payments, were part of Congress’s $2.2 trillion relief act in March:
▪ $8 million in federal funds for the self-employed, including independent contractors and gig-economy workers.
▪ $1 million in extended benefits, which are just beginning. Regular state unemployment compensation typically lasts 10 to 20 weeks. Congress appropriated federal funds for up to 13 additional weeks.
In a news release Thursday, the Idaho Department of Labor said initial applications for unemployment compensation ticked upward in the week that ended last Saturday, June 6, after falling in recent weeks as many businesses reopened.
Last week’s total was 3,953 new claims, up 307 from the prior week. Continued claims by people already receiving benefits fell 6% to 47,779 people. More than 149,000 Idahoans have filed for unemployment compensation during the pandemic.
Downtown YMCA closes after virus case confirmed
The downtown Boise YMCA was briefly closed Wednesday evening after a person with a confirmed case of COVID-19 was in it on Monday, according to emails from the Treasure Valley Family YMCA.
The YMCA found out about the exposure on Wednesday, causing an immediate closure of the downtown Boise gym for a thorough cleaning. Contact tracing by Central District Health revealed a person with the coronavirus had been inside.
Treasure Valley Family YMCA sent an email to members Thursday morning saying the downtown Y had been reopened after verifying that any exposure to staff or members was limited.
Valley Regional Transit to reopen downtown
Valley Regional Transit will resume normal operations beginning Monday, June 15, as Idaho begins the final stage of the governor’s reopening plan.
Here are the changes VRT will make:
- VRT will begin collecting fares for ValleyRide bus service and ACCESS paratransit service.
- Route 9 along State Street will resume its regular schedule — 15-minute frequency during peak a.m. and p.m. times, and 30-minute frequency during nonpeak times.
- There will be no seating or standing restrictions on buses.
- Main Street Station in downtown Boise will reopen. Routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7A, 7B and 9 will stage there.
- The customer service office at Main Street Station will reopen at 7 a.m. on Monday.
- The VRT Meridian office at 700 NE 2nd St. will reopen its main entrance doors at 8 a.m. Monday.
Valley Regional Transit stopped collecting fares on March 21 in an effort to promote social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus. Riders were asked to enter through the back door of the bus when possible.
Valley Regional Transit is encouraging riders to buy their fares online through the Valley Connect mobile application. People also are urged to wear face coverings, sit as far from others as possible and not ride if they are sick.
Stores at The Village at Meridian nearly all open
Only a few shops at The Village at Meridian have not reopened as Idaho moves toward Stage 4 of Gov. Brad Little’s reopening plan to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
Stores and restaurants have begun welcoming shoppers and diners once again, and the play area is now available for children with increased sanitizing stations and hourly cleaning.
The Village Cinema has not yet opened but plans to later in the summer, according to a news release from the shopping center at Eagle Road and Fairview Avenue.
Events such as Rock the Village and Witches Night Out, which typically draw large crowds, will not be held this year. The center will focus on more intimate events, such as live performances on the patio at Big Al’s three nights a week and Friday evening entertainment at Fountain Square in July and August.
Other events include fine art displays, car shows, story times and yoga on the green at Fountain Square.
Discovery Center to reopen in July
The Discovery Center of Idaho will reopen on July 7, according to the museum’s website.
In an email to members, the museum’s executive director, Eric Miller,thanked the community for flattening the curve and keeping others safe.
The museum will reopen with a limited capacity and timed entries, meaning guests can visit the museum in 90-minute intervals. A maximum of 100 visitors will be allowed inside at a time.
If you plan on going, both visitors and members will need to sign up online for an entry time before visiting. You will receive a confirmation email with tickets that can be scanned at the museum’s front desk for a touch-free entry. Bookings can be scheduled up to a week in advance.
Upon reopening, the museum will feature a traveling exhibition on King Tut, a touch-free display of over 6,000 square feet.
For more information, visit www.dcidaho.org.
More cases, no new deaths Wednesday
Thirty-six new coronavirus cases were reported Wednesday across Idaho. The state’s confirmed case count now sits at 2,945.
New cases were confirmed in Ada, Bannock, Canyon, Cassia, Kootenai and Twin Falls counties, among others. State health officials also reported seven new “probable cases” on Wednesday, bringing the state total to 313.
After two new deaths were reported Tuesday in Twin Falls County, no new deaths were reported Wednesday. Idaho’s coronavirus death count remains at 85.
Cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in the majority of Idaho counties: Ada 795, Adams 3, Bannock 51, Benewah 10, Bingham 24, Blaine 504, Bonner 7, Bonneville 47, Camas 1, Canyon 322, Caribou 3, Cassia 108, Custer 2, Elmore 32, Franklin 9, Fremont 3, Gem 13, Gooding 47, Idaho 3, Jefferson 7, Jerome 173, Kootenai 89, Latah 6, Lemhi 1, Lincoln 31, Madison 17, Minidoka 77, Nez Perce 75, Owyhee 8, Payette 22, Power 7, Teton 10, Twin Falls 391, Valley 3 and Washington 44.
Since March, health officials have confirmed community spread in 24 of Idaho’s 44 counties: Ada, Bannock, Benewah, Bingham, Blaine, Bonner, Bonneville, Canyon, Cassia, Elmore, Gem, Gooding, Jefferson, Jerome, Kootenai, Lemhi, Lincoln, Madison, Minidoka, Owyhee, Payette, Power, Teton and Twin Falls.
This story was originally published June 11, 2020 at 1:25 PM.
