Coronavirus: No more food trucks at Idaho rest stops now that state has reopened
Food trucks at Idaho rest stops will no longer be allowed, according to the Idaho Transportation Department.
The department announced Thursday that it will discontinue the temporary permit needed for food trucks to sell hot meals to travelers at rest stops in Idaho. The final day for the food trucks will be Friday.
The trucks have been set up at rest stops since April, serving hot meals to essential travelers amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“More than 30 permits have been granted since we developed this provisional program,” said Nestor Fernandez, ITD’s Mobility Services Engineer, in a news release. “Now that hot meals on the road will be easier to find, those permits will expire so that ITD may be in compliance with federal rules.”
In early April, federal officials announced that they would relax restrictions on commercial activity along federally supported places like rest stops.
COVID-19 tests at Interfaith Sanctuary come back negative
After the first case of the coronavirus was confirmed this week in Boise’s homeless population, the spread looks to be limited. A person staying in a hotel tested positive, prompting all others in the hotel to be tested.
Interfaith Sanctuary’s executive director, Jodi Stigers, said in an email Friday that all coronavirus tests for other shelter residents came back negative. The shelter had one person test positive for the coronavirus earlier this week, and that person was then moved to a different hotel and isolated.
Family Medicine Residency of Idaho did 84 coronavirus tests, Stigers said Friday. As for the person who tested positive, they will remain in the separate hotel until all symptoms are gone.
“This is our first homeless person who is utilizing this hotel,” Stigers told the Statesman on Wednesday. “As soon as all symptoms are gone, and honestly there aren’t a lot of symptoms, they’ll test again. As soon as they test negative, they will be safe to release.”
Coronavirus spread hits Boise bars, new death reported in Twin Falls
Health officials say several bars in downtown Boise were visited by people who tested positive for the coronavirus.
According to Central District Health, a group of at least 10 people with COVID-19 visited multiple bars on Friday, June 5, and Saturday, June 6. Health officials say the group went to spots in the area of 6th and Main streets: Amsterdam Lounge, Cactus Bar, Hannah’s, Silly Birch, StrangeLove and Tom Grainey’s.
Anyone who visited those bars on those days should monitor themselves for possible coronavirus symptoms, including fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell. Symptoms can appear between two and 14 days after exposure.
CDH epidemiologists are still investigating the spread.
In South Central Idaho’s district, the state’s 86th coronavirus death was reported in Twin Falls County on Thursday, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
The death is the third reported this week after two deaths were reported by state health officials on Tuesday. All three deaths were reported in Twin Falls County, which has recorded 25 deaths — more coronavirus fatalities than any other county in the state.
Health officials reported 33 new cases around Idaho on Thursday. Nine were reported in Ada County, and cases were also reported in Canyon, Cassia, Elmore, Jefferson and Kootenai, among others.
State health officials added five new “probable cases” to its list, bringing the total to 318.
Coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the majority of Idaho counties: Ada 804, Adams 3, Bannock 53, Benewah 10, Bingham 24, Blaine 504, Bonner 7, Bonneville 49, Camas 1, Canyon 325, Caribou 3, Cassia 110, Custer 2, Elmore 33, Franklin 10, Fremont 3, Gem 13, Gooding 48, Idaho 3, Jefferson 8, Jerome 175, Kootenai 94, Latah 6, Lemhi 1, Lincoln 31, Madison 18, Minidoka 78, Nez Perce 75, Owyhee 8, Payette 23, Power 7, Teton 10, Twin Falls 392, Valley 3 and Washington 44.
Community spread has been reported in 24 Idaho 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 12, 2020 at 10:34 AM.
