Q&A: Answering your COVID-19 questions about paying rent, dining out and handling mail

Can coronavirus live on a box? When can I eat at restaurants again? What do I do if I can’t pay my rent?

We took some time last week to answer some of readers’ biggest coronavirus and COVID-19 questions. Today, we’re answering some more.

If you’ve got a question, submit it in the Google form below. We may edit slightly for clarity or grammar, but we’ll do our best to get you the information you need. You can also check out last week’s Q&A for answers to questions about the difference between coronavirus and COVID-19, whether you need a permit to move and whether you should travel to see loved ones.

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Can coronavirus live on my mail and packages?

Some of the latest research from the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that the coronavirus cannot last on cardboard for more than 24 hours. That’s a similar result to what a study from the National Institutes of Health’s Rocky Mountain Lab in Montana found.

Both studies found the virus could be detected for longer on plastic and steel.

Regardless, it would be a good idea to wash your hands after handling your mail. If you’re nervous about potential contamination, wipe down surfaces that your mail and packages touch.

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What do I do if I can’t pay my rent?

The Idaho Supreme Court has issued a temporary hold on evictions, but property owners can still file for eviction with the courts. Hearings won’t be scheduled until the Supreme Court order is lifted.

I asked Ali Rabe, executive director of eviction prevention group Jesse Tree, what people in the Treasure Valley should do if they can’t make their rent payments. She shared a link to Jesse Tree’s information on how to set up a rent payment plan. She also advised as follows:

1. Communicate with your landlord about what’s going on. “Landlords and property managers really appreciate tenants who are good communicators,” Rabe said in an email.
2. Try to stay as current as possible on your rent — don’t just not pay it.
3. Review your budget and assets to figure out what you can pay, even if it is just part of your rent.
4. Ask your landlord to set up a payment plan. Rabe recommends taking any potential tax returns and federal stimulus checks into consideration.
5. Ask your landlord to consider waiving the remainder of the rent considering current economic circumstances.
6. Reach out to your friends, family and networks who may be able to provide temporary help. “This is going to take a communitywide effort,” she said.
7. If you have children in the home, call 211 and ask for rental assistance. She also recommends that you call Jesse Tree’s Housing Crisis Line at 208-383-9486. The organization uses a predictive algorithm, much like a hospital emergency room, to triage and help meet the most urgent needs first.

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When can I eat a meal in a restaurant again?

No one is sure when things may return to “normal” — it’s possible that even when restaurants are able to open again, they may have limited seating or other measures in place to encourage social distancing.

But here’s what we do know: Gov. Brad Little’s order closing the dine-in parts of restaurants ends at 11:59 p.m. on April 15 unless it is extended, rescinded, superseded or amended.

If you’re looking to support a favorite local restaurant, you can call and ask whether they have any sort of carry-out or delivery options. Statesman entertainment reporter Michael Deeds has an extensive list of local restaurants offering take-out and delivery, including what apps you can order them from and what their hours are. Many are also offering curbside service.

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Can loved ones in another state (Utah) still come visit me if we stay at home and away from public? They would be driving.

That would probably not be a great idea right now. Utah as a state is not under a stay-at-home order, but it is not a good idea to travel for non-essential business right now. You also wouldn’t want to risk spreading illness in your community or in theirs.

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Is it OK for my son to alternate between our house and his girlfriend’s family’s house? My husband and my son are in “essential business.”

Especially given that your family members are still heading in and out frequently to go to work, switching between homes could mean he is risking spreading the illness among his family, her family and anyone else either family interacts with.

The point of the stay-at-home order is to cut down on contact between people. I’d recommend your son pick a house for the time being. It is difficult to be apart from loved ones, but it is the best way to protect the health of everyone.

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We are both over 65 years old. Can we exercise by walking on sidewalk?

You can, but you may want to stay in areas where you know you won’t come across other people or go on walks at times when not many others will be out. Older people are especially susceptible to COVID-19.

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Get the answer to other COVID-19 questions in last week’s Q&A. Got a new question? Submit it here, and we’ll try to answer it:

This story was originally published March 31, 2020 at 12:39 PM.

Hayley Harding

Idaho Statesman

208-377-6481

Hayley covers local government for the Idaho Statesman with a primary focus on Boise and Ada County. Her political reporting won first place in the 2019 Idaho Press Club awards. Previously, she worked for the Salisbury Daily Times, the Hartford Courant, the Denver Post and McClatchy’s D.C. bureau. Hayley graduated from Ohio University with degrees in journalism and political science.If you like seeing stories like this, please consider supporting our work with a digital subscription to the Idaho Statesman.