Coronavirus: What does limit on Ada County gatherings mean? Also, Ada jail cases grow
Social gatherings of more than 10 people are not allowed in Ada County, according to an order approved by Central District Health on Tuesday.
The revised order, which took immediate effect, was approved by the Board of Health in a 5-1 vote. The additional step was taken because of continued spread of the coronavirus in Ada County, a place that regularly reports more than 100 new cases per day.
CDH said that case investigations have revealed that gatherings such as birthday parties, weddings and other types of social events “have been, and continue to be, a common source of transmission in Ada County,” according to a news release.
The health district noted that the order does not extend into “theaters, restaurants, retail establishments, or similar private businesses where social distancing is practiced, or attending places of worship for the purpose of exercising religious activities.”
The order does not have a specified end date, according to the CDH website.
The health district also approved a measure Tuesday that requires masks to be worn in Valley County. The vote on that was 4-2.
Valley County Commissioner Elt Hasbrouck, a board member, supported the decision to mandate masks in his county. He had concern about the large number of people who visit to recreate. Valley is home to McCall, Payette Lake and Lake Cascade.
“Our concern is we are the playground for the two hottest spots in the state right now,” Hasbrouck said about Ada and Canyon counties. “... I would rather do something ahead of time then wait for after the crash has happened.”
He said there were more than 9,200 vehicles in Valley County over the weekend, largely belonging to visitors.
Of the people he’s spoken to, including business owners, Hasbrouck said about 75 percent in Valley County were in support of mandating masks.
Ada County Jail reports 130 COVID-19 cases
Ada County Jail officials say they now have had 130 positive coronavirus tests among the inmate population.
In an updated blog post on the Ada County Sheriff’s Office website, the jail reports that cases have grown in the past few days, as officials said the jail had 68 confirmed cases last week.
The first case of COVID-19 in the jail was found July 28, according to the post, leading officials to begin rounds of testing. The jail conducted testing throughout different dorms within the building, with the latest round of tests recently coming back. On Saturday, the jail received word of 52 positive tests among its inmate population, with more positive tests coming back earlier this week.
Each inmate is required to wear a mask or face covering, which the jail has supplied, at all times, unless they are in their bunks.
Each jail deputy and employee undergoes a coronavirus screening before going into the jail, according to the Sheriff’s Office. All of those who work at the jail are also required to wear masks or a face covering.
Spokesperson Patrick Orr said in an email Wednesday that the jail had 839 people in its custody as of Wednesday morning. The capacity is 1,116, meaning it is about 75% full. Back in March, Ada County officials said they would look to reduce the jail population as a way to mitigate the risk of the coronavirus spreading.
Firefighter tests positive at Pumpkin Fire
A firefighter working at the Pumpkin Fire in Idaho has tested positive for the coronavirus. The wildfire was started by lightning Aug. 6 southwest of Hawley Mountain.
Roughly 360 people have been assigned to the Pumpkin Fire, with about 270 people on the fire line.
“This week a person on the fire line developed symptoms consistent with coronavirus and was removed from the fire line and isolated,” according to the Idaho Department of Lands. “The individual subsequently tested positive for coronavirus. Two other individuals assigned to the fire but working on a different crew appeared to be symptomatic, but rapid testing returned negative results.”
The person who tested positive and the firefighters who were working with that individual were isolated and then returned to their home unit without interacting with other fire crews, the incident command post in Idaho City or any of the communities surrounding the Pumpkin Fire.
Authorities are working to limit the size of the camps where the fires are and social distance when possible. There is also greater use of aerial firefighting, to limit the number of people on the ground.
Contact tracing for the COVID-19 case is ongoing, but so is the firefighting. The wildfire is burning about 4 miles northwest of Placerville, 7.5 miles northeast of Horseshoe Bend and 8 miles southeast of Garden Valley.
Middleton School District delays opening, tables vote on in-person classes
The Middleton School District’s board voted Monday to start classes after Labor Day but did not vote on what schools will look like upon reopening.
Classes will start Sept. 8, according to a news release sent Wednesday by the school district. The school board tabled the discussion regarding whether classes will be held in person or online, and it will vote on the matter during its next meeting. Canyon County, where Middleton is located, is among the areas hit hardest by the coronavirus.
During the meeting, the school board approved changes to the “red” category of its reopening plan to allow for one day of in-person classes a week, the release said. If a community is in this category, it means the area has a risk of “substantial community transmission,” and state guidelines would call for the area to conduct K-12 schooling online.
School board trustees will take the next two weeks to “develop standards and metrics for Middleton School District to determine what is the best stage to reopen without being locked into a category determined by Southwest District Health Department,” the news release said.
Students and teachers will be highly encouraged to wear face coverings if classes are held in person on a limited basis, but masks will not be required, according to the district.
The board also approved a plan to allow school sports to begin later this month, as students will be allowed to start practice on Aug. 17 in anticipation of games in September.
School will start after Labor Day for several reasons, according to the district. One reason is to allow more time for computers to arrive, as well as give more time for webcams and audio devices to be installed in classrooms.
The later start also allows more time for students to enroll in classes, as the district estimates there were “nearly 1,300 students who have not registered for school” as of Monday, according to the news release. The uncertain enrollment numbers also bring “last-minute staffing changes” and other adjustments needed for online school.
Kuna, Vallivue school districts delay start dates, outline hybrid schedules
Two Treasure Valley school districts decided Tuesday to push back start dates for classes, as well as roll out different schedules for different age groups.
The Kuna School District will start the school year on Aug. 31 instead of the 27th.
Kuna’s schools will open with an alternating schedule that will feature half the students attending in-person classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, while the other half will have in-person classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. All students will have class online on Fridays.
The Vallivue School District in Caldwell voted to delay its opening date from Aug. 19 to Aug. 25. Elementary school students will be in classrooms four days a week, while middle and high school students will have in-person classes two days a week.
Both the Kuna and Vallivue school districts are listed in “red” areas, according to their respective heath districts — Central District and Southwest District.
Morrison Center could hold Boise State lectures when classes resume
The Morrison Center could take on a new role when Boise State figures out how it will accommodate students as they return, said Laura Kendall, the performing arts center’s executive director.
“We’re part of the university and are going to do what we can,” she said.
When classes resume, the center’s main hall could become a lecture hall, perfect for social distancing. The smaller Danny Peterson Theatre and upstairs recital hall could become venues for other classes, and the center itself could become a safe gathering place or study hall, she said.
The Morrison Center is a theatrical road house, built in 1984 to bring touring Broadway musicals such as “Grease,” “The Lion King” and “Hamilton” to Boise. It also houses classrooms and rehearsal halls for BSU’s music, dance and theater programs.
Normally, it is busy most days between its Broadway in Boise schedule and performances by local professional and student groups. But with national theatrical touring and other performances suspended, the 2,000-seat venue is empty.
Nine COVID-10 deaths reported Tuesday, Idaho nears 24,000 cases
State health officials reported nine new coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday. Since the start of August, 55 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19.
Of the nine deaths, one was reported in Benewah County — the county’s first. The Benewah resident who died was a man in his 60s who was hospitalized, according to the Panhandle Health District.
Three deaths were reported in Canyon County, which now has 51 deaths. Two deaths each were reported in Ada and Kootenai counties, bring the counties’ totals to 85 and 18, respectfully. One death was reported in Payette, the county’s third coronavirus-related fatality.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare updated its demographics for seven of the new deaths — four people were age 80 or older, one was in their 70s and another was in their 60s.
Idaho has been the site of 248 coronavirus-related deaths since the pandemic began.
As of Tuesday, all Idaho counties but one have reported at least one case of the coronavirus. Butte County reported its first case on Tuesday, as a woman over the age of 50 tested positive for the virus. Lewis is the only county in Idaho that has not reported a coronavirus case.
Idaho’s seven health districts reported 413 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, bringing the state’s total case count to 23,999. IDHW estimates that of those infected, 9,548 have recovered.
Ada County reported 157 new cases Tuesday, bringing its total to 8,757. Other counties with large totals Tuesday included Canyon (52), Kootenai (47), Bonneville (30), Shoshone (25), Bannock (22) and Bingham (22).
IDHW reported 70 new “probable cases” Tuesday, bringing that total to 1,645. The department also reports that 1,037 people have been hospitalized and 289 have been admitted to ICUs since the outbreak began. This is not a number on those currently admitted to hospitals.
As of Tuesday, around 11.4% of coronavirus tests in Idaho have been positive, and 210,599 tests have been conducted in the state, according to IDHW.
Coronavirus cases have been reported in nearly all of Idaho’s 44 counties: Ada 8,757, Adams 19, Bannock 424, Bear Lake 23, Benewah 63, Bingham 297, Blaine 563, Boise 40, Bonner 177, Bonneville 912, Boundary 37, Butte 1, Camas 1, Canyon 5,657, Caribou 31, Cassia 485, Clark 10, Clearwater 16, Custer 10, Elmore 206, Franklin 46, Fremont 74, Gem 162, Gooding 152, Idaho 31, Jefferson 177, Jerome 432, Kootenai 1,837, Latah 102, Lemhi 26, Lincoln 53, Madison 135, Minidoka 451, Nez Perce 144, Oneida 12, Owyhee 241, Payette 369, Power 64, Shoshone 121, Teton 75, Twin Falls 1,302, Valley 61 and Washington 203.
Community spread has been detected in the majority of Idaho counties: Ada, Bannock, Bear Lake, Benewah, Bingham, Blaine, Boise, Bonner, Bonneville, Boundary, Canyon, Caribou, Cassia, Clark, Clearwater, Custer, Elmore, Fremont, Gem, Gooding, Idaho, Jefferson, Jerome, Kootenai, Latah, Lemhi, Lewis, Lincoln, Madison, Minidoka, Nez Perce, Oneida, Owyhee, Payette, Power, Shoshone, Teton, Twin Falls, Valley and Washington.
This story was originally published August 12, 2020 at 11:24 AM.
