Boise-area health district to consider major restrictions to prevent COVID-19 crisis
Ada County is on the verge of a public health crisis, the Central District Health Board of Health was told Tuesday.
And board members appeared ready to take significant action in response to the grim COVID-19 numbers they heard.
CDH Director Russ Duke’s public health advisory, which the board approved Nov. 17, could become an order that is enforceable by a misdemeanor if residents do not comply. The board will meet at 5:15 p.m. Friday to vote on whether the advisory will become an order. Duke’s staff will prepare the potential order before the meeting.
The only board member to vote against drafting the order was Rep. Megan Blanksma, R-Hammett.
“While the advisory is not an order … it is critically important that our communities follow the strong recommendations that we have issued to avoid a crisis situation that I would say appears to be developing fairly quickly,” Duke said.
The new order would be in addition to the mask mandate that is already in place in Ada County.
The coronavirus outbreak in the Central District, which includes Ada, Elmore, Boise, and Valley counties, has seen serious community transmission, and on Tuesday night the state reported 340 new confirmed cases in Ada County alone. Kimberly Link, the CDH communicable disease control manager, told the board that Ada County is recording about 3,000 cases of the virus every week and the test positivity rate is nearing 20%.
Link noted that the number of residents in the intensive care units at hospitals has increased significantly this month.
Duke said he did not know of any hospitals that had requested crisis care standards authorization as of Tuesday, but the ICUs were increasingly filling with COVID-19 patients.
“We need to work immediately to slow the growth,” Duke said.
Dr. Ted Epperly, a CDH board member, said he was concerned about health care capacity, the number of infected health care workers and standards of care. Epperly made the initial motion asking Duke to prepare a draft order.
Multiple ICUs in the state are diverting patients because they do not have space, and Epperly was concerned the problem will only get worse after Thanksgiving celebration infections come to light.
“We have an absolute imminent crisis right now,” Epperly said. “If we do not do this (order), we will lose the hospitals. Hear me when I say that. We will lose the hospitals.”
Epperly was concerned that Treasure Valley residents may need to be flown to other states for health care if Idaho’s hospitals fill up.
The current advisory recommends the following business restrictions in Ada, Valley, Elmore and Boise counties, but a draft of the order had not been published Tuesday night.
▪ Businesses should implement delivery and curb-side services when possible
▪ Bars, distilleries, restaurants, breweries, tap rooms and wineries should move to carryout and takeout only and close at 10 p.m.
▪ Gyms and fitness centers should limit capacity to 50%. Fitness class instructors should maintain a 6-foot distance from participants at all times.
▪ Places of worship should implement virtual services.
▪ Discontinue youth and adult sports where physical distancing is not an option.
▪ Discontinue all school extracurricular activities where physical distancing cannot be done, and those that involve excess breathing, such as choir or band.
It also advises residents of the four counties to do the following:
▪ Avoid social gatherings, of any size, with people who are not in your household. That includes family members who live outside of your house.
▪ Face coverings should be worn at all times when 6-foot distancing is not maintained with anyone who does not live in your household.
▪ Work from home and minimize travel.
▪ Suspend visits to all congregate living facilities.
Anyone age 65 and older, or who smokes, or with a health condition that puts them at risk, should avoid close contact with anyone outside of their household, except for necessary services such as health care.
An order would no longer be just a recommendation, and if enforced by law enforcement a violation could be punishable by a misdemeanor crime.
Central District Health will post a draft of the order on its website prior to the Friday meeting. All CDH Board of Health meetings can be watched on the CDH YouTube Channel.
This story was originally published December 1, 2020 at 7:53 PM.
