Here’s what Stage 3 means in Boise area — and how we can get out of it, or move further back
Editor’s note: This story was published in June when Central District Health moved Ada County back to Stage 3 of Idaho’s reopening process. To see the Statesman’s coverage of Gov. Brad Little’s Oct. 26 decision moving the state back to stage 3, click here.
Central District Health will move Ada County back to Stage 3 of Idaho’s reopening process Wednesday.
And it’s possible the Boise area will go backward again before it moves forward.
CDH released the order implementing the return to Stage 3 on Monday night, as well as a process for moving the area forward or backward in the reopening in the coming weeks.
Below you will find key provisions for how CDH will decide when to change stages, and the primary guidelines that will govern Stage 3.
Criteria for changing stages
Central District Health will look at three metrics when making decisions, according to a document posted to its website:
▪ COVID-19-like illnesses reported during emergency department visits among residents of the health district, which includes Ada, Elmore, Boise and Valley counties.
▪ Reported confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases among residents of the health district.
▪ Whether a publicly declared illness cluster has been detected “that may significantly impact illness levels within the community.” The county can’t advance if this isn’t met.
Stage assessments will be made each Monday based on data from the prior two weeks (Sunday-Saturday weeks). “At least two full weeks will be spent in a stage before determinations to advance will be made,” the document states.
To advance, if cases are averaging 25 or more per day (the current situation), the first two criteria must show a downward trend over a 14-day period and there must not be an illness cluster.
To move to a more restrictive stage, one of the first two criteria must show an upward trend over 14 days with a 50% or greater increase in counts between the first and second weeks.
If cases average fewer than 25 per day, Ada can advance or stay put but isn’t at risk of moving backward. The county can advance even if the first two criteria show an upward trend with less than a 50% increase in counts from the first week to the second week.
CDH could move Ada County to a more restrictive stage immediately if crisis standards of care are implemented (a sign hospitals are being swamped); a local hospital “indicates that further increases in cases in the community will overwhelm local hospital capacity”; or reported cases exceed 100 per day on three consecutive days among health district residents.
That last one is key: The district reported 141 new cases Monday, the first time it had topped 100. Some of those cases might get backdated to Sunday, when the district doesn’t report cases publicly, so it’s unclear whether Monday will count as the first 100-count day.
If Ada County went back to the state’s Stage 2, gatherings would be limited to fewer than 10 people.
What Stage 3 means to residents
Bars and nightclubs must close when the order takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.
“Epidemiological investigations conducted by Central District Health of infected individuals provides an association of a large number of infections in patrons and employees of Ada County bars and nightclubs and increased community transmission,” the order states.
The bars and nightclubs must be closed except to perform “minimum basic operations,” like maintaining inventory or processing payroll and employee benefits. During this time, these businesses should also be preparing to reopen when allowed, and should be preparing sanitation and distancing protocols, as well as obtaining personal protective equipment.
The order also prohibits large venue gatherings — concerts, large sporting events, parades and festivals — to take place in Ada County.
Visits to senior living facilities, the Ada County jail and state prisons are also prohibited while the county is under these restrictions. Employees and those in the facilities must abide by “strict protocols regarding hygiene and infection prevention,” the order states.
Public or private gatherings of more than 50 people “should be avoided,” the order states. Groups of less than 50 are permitted, but those attending should still be practicing physical distancing and wearing masks when possible.
Employers in Ada County should put measures in place to ensure employees and customers should be maintaining distancing of six feed whenever possible. Employers also need to also provide sanitation measures to all employees and patrons, as well as disinfect commonly touched areas.
Though the CDH order doesn’t explicitly say people should self-quarantine after traveling, the health department believes it would be a good idea for residents to take precautions after visiting a place with community transmission, according to CDH public information officer Christine Myron. These precautions would include a 14-day self-quarantine for someone who was visiting an area with high numbers of coronavirus cases.
While drafting the order, Myron said the health district wanted to focus on the things health officials know cause the highest risks of exposure that they learned through contact tracing. Employers should continue to allow employees to work remotely as well, Myron said.
This story was originally published June 23, 2020 at 9:55 AM.
