Gov. Little, get serious about coronavirus and issue a statewide mask mandate
Idaho Gov. Brad Little continues to rely on the good graces of Idahoans to do the right thing when it comes to wearing a mask and practicing social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.
Idaho’s strategy of polite requests for voluntary action is starting to unravel.
He often is seen in public wearing a mask, himself, and he repeats at press conferences a request for everyone to wear a mask.
Yet, he gives tacit approval of people and groups that flout his mere recommendations, Little sends a mixed message by saying “Mask Up, Idaho” but then attends large indoor events, such as the Republican state convention and last week’s “Back the Blue” event, where very few people wore masks and there was little or no social distancing.
Meanwhile, the state looks the other way when it comes to other events or people not wearing masks, such as this weekend’s “Freakshow of Amateur Wrestling” tournament at the Ford Idaho Center, featuring 3,500 wrestlers from 40-plus states.
So we have groups free to hold large events with no consequence while events like a Boise State football game follow the rules and won’t allow fans.
There’s confusion and no consistency. Idaho appears headed for a reckoning like we’ve not yet seen during this pandemic.
Idaho is in the red zone for cases, indicating 101 or more new cases per 100,000, according to the White House Coronavirus Task Force’s Oct. 4 report, obtained by the Center for Public Integrity.
We are now eighth-highest in the rate of new cases in the country and the third-highest in rate for test positivity, according to the report.
The state’s seven-day moving average has climbed to 527.6 cases per day. The average was 263.9 just three weeks ago.
It took Idaho four months to hit 200 deaths from COVID-19. It has taken just two months to add 300 more deaths, topping 500 this month.
Idaho has a mish-mash of rules
Idaho has a mish-mash of mask recommendations and mandates, with little to no guidance from the state, which chooses instead to punt the problem down to local public health districts, cities and school boards.
The result is an unsustainable patchwork. Ada County has a mask mandate, while neighboring Canyon County has only a recommendation. Want to have a massive event with a lot of people without wearing a mask? Just move it on over to Canyon County.
Contrary to advice from public health experts on stopping the coronavirus spread, the Emmett School Board of Trustees voted to reduce quarantine guidelines from the recommended 14 days to just five. The decision was not supported by the local health district or the state framework.
School districts are making seemingly random — and disparate — decisions about in-person, online-only or hybrid models while resuming high school sports.
This is what a lack of leadership looks like.
Idaho is now seeing spikes not just in large population areas; we’re seeing big spikes in smaller counties, illustrating that the coronavirus doesn’t know when it hits a county line and highlighting the futility of leaving these decisions up to individual districts or cities.
Further, these small-community outbreaks cause bigger problems because the health care system is not as robust as it is in larger communities.
Rushing through reopening stages
Since June 11, Idaho has stayed in Stage 4, which frankly doesn’t really mean much anyway and in reality clearly isn’t doing much to stop the spread of the disease. While awareness and education likely helped slow the spread back in the end of August, beginning of September, Idaho probably never should have left Stage 3 statewide to begin with.
Facing pressure from his radical extreme faction of his party, Little likely would never move the state back into Stage 3, so we can expect a continued uptick in COVID-19 cases while we languish in Stage 4.
Little has talked a lot about “coronavirus fatigue,” about people, in particular adults, getting tired of hearing about the virus and getting tired of all of the rules, and letting their guard down anytime they think there is good news or we’ve turned a corner.
As numbers show, we haven’t turned a corner. And the fact is, while the governor talks about fatigue and warning people not to fall victim to it, he also promotes this fatigue, by trumpeting nothing but our good economy and improving unemployment numbers at press conferences, by attending huge rallies that pose a big risk, by not emphasizing how dire the situation still is, by not wearing a mask religiously when he should (such as when he visited the White House, and when he goes to an event where the audience will obviously be anti-mask), by not calling out the people ignoring the guidelines.
Mask mandates in other states
Thirty-three states require people to wear face coverings in public to curb the spread of COVID-19, according to AARP. The District of Columbia and Puerto Rico also have mask orders in place.
During a recent town hall hosted by AARP Idaho, several callers confronted Little, frustrated that not much was being done, in their minds, to cut the spread of COVID-19, according to Boise State Public Radio. Many called for a statewide mask mandate.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that Idaho’s strategy is not working.
Idaho needs a statewide mask mandate — and soon. Even as our numbers are climbing already, we’re heading into the colder winter months, when people head inside. Our situation promises only to get worse.
Despite the fears over those few obstinate residents who will no doubt ignore the mandate, a mask mandate will have an effect, even if difficult to enforce. It would have the same effect as something like a seat belt law. Chances are you won’t get caught and ticketed for not wearing a seat belt, but just the knowledge of a law acts as a deterrent. A statewide mask mandate would accomplish that, as well.
It is long past time for people to argue masks don’t make a difference. The fact some people do not seem to care about their own possible illness and long term disability from COVID-19 gives them no right to endanger the lives and long-term health of others.
And that’s where Idaho is headed if we continue with the status quo. We’re headed in the wrong direction.
Gov. Little, to prevent as many serious illnesses and deaths as we can, issue a statewide mask mandate now.