Idaho senators potentially exposed to COVID-19 two weeks into legislative session
Idaho senators received notice Monday that they may have been exposed to COVID-19 after an employee tested positive for the virus over the weekend.
Two weeks into this year’s legislative session, Jennifer Novak, secretary of the Senate, sent out a notice to legislators and staffers informing them that a Senate attaché tested positive, the Idaho Press first reported Tuesday.
The staffer self-reported the test, the notice said. The employee primarily worked in the Senate chairman’s suite. Senate President Pro-Tem Chuck Winder told the AP that the staffer was infected by a family member outside the Capitol and went to work Friday with no symptoms.
“She was here after that exposure for a short period of time,” Winder said. “I know that she was wearing a mask when I saw her.”
Novak in the notice encouraged anyone to stay home if they exhibit any COVID-19 related symptoms. She reminded senators that symptoms may take two to 14 days to appear. The notice did not mention that the virus can also be spread while someone is asymptomatic.
Gov. Brad Little and Democratic lawmakers in December urged Republican leadership in the House and Senate to postpone this year’s session or make it virtual due to the COVID-19 risks. Many state legislators are at least 65 years old and are in the high-risk category for the coronavirus.
“This (Statehouse) building is a pretty good petri dish for transmissible moments of COVID,” Little told Idaho Education News at the time. “I would advise my separate but equal legislative branch to seriously consider it.”
Two Democratic representatives with compromised immune systems sued the Legislature and House Speaker Scott Bedke earlier this month over the lack of ADA accommodations during the pandemic. Last week a motion on the House floor for Rep. Muffy Davis, D-Ketchum, whose spinal cord injury gives her limited lung capacity, to work remotely failed in a 49-11 vote.
Winder sent a memo to legislators and staffers to encourage safety protocols in the Senate chambers last week. Committee rooms have been reconfigured for social distancing, the memo said. The Statehouse’s HVAC system will be running 24 hours, and air purifiers and hand sanitizer stations have been installed throughout the building.
Though the memo acknowledged the need for “consistent” safety protocols for the virus, it also emphasized that masks are encouraged but not mandated. Many legislators regularly have not been wearing masks at the Capitol building.
Winder’s memo also includes a “decision tree” that encourages anyone to quarantine for 10 days if they have been exposed to the virus.
He urged officials to protect staffers from the virus. He said senators will be able to appoint a substitute in the event they’re unable to attend for at least three days.
“However, staff members cannot be easily replaced, so we must do all we can to protect them from illness,” Winder said.
This story was originally published January 19, 2021 at 12:42 PM.
