Boise State Public Radio is here to keep you current on the news surrounding COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. This blog contains information from April 19 - 25 on closures, cancellations & news regarding the coronavirus in Idaho.
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State Reports Two Additional Fatalities, 938 Recovered in Idaho
April 25 - 5:15 p.m.
State health officials announced a 17-case increase in the total number of COVID-19 cases in Idaho. There are now 1,760 confirmed cases statewide and an additional 127 probable infections. Two additional fatalities were also announced, the first since Wednesday. Based on previous reporting, Saturday's deaths were in Ada (15) and Elmore (2) counties. Idaho's COVID-19-related death toll is now 56 people.
The weekday average increase of confirmed cases this week was nearly 34 per day. The state's two health districts with the most cases do not report numbers on weekends.
The state says 938 people have recovered from COVID-19, and 234 healthcare workers have contracted the virus. Nearly 20,000 people have been tested via in-state and out-of-state labs.
Nampa Mayor Tells Businesses Follow COVID-19 Guidelines But Says There Will Be Little Enforcement
April 24 - 5:47 p.m.
Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling said the city is urging businesses to follow the guidelines of Idaho Gov. Brad Little’s phased reopening of the state. But she also said the city won’t prioritize enforcement of the rules.
In Little’s four-phase plan certain organizations, like churches, can open early on with strict social distancing rules. But businesses like bars must wait until the last phase, estimated to be in mid-June.
Kling said the city doesn’t have the resources to police every business and will focus on education about the importance of taking steps to decrease the spread of COVID-19.
No New Deaths As Lab Confirmed Cases Reach 1,750
April 24 - 5:30 p.m.
Idaho has 29 new confirmed cases bringing the total number of lab diagnosed cases to 1,750. The death rate remains at 54 with no new deaths reported Friday. Ada County has the most number of lab confirmed cases at 610 and the most deaths at 14. Nez Perce has the next highest deaths at 13, followed by Twin Falls County with 11. Blaine County has the highest rate per capita at 2,124 cases per 100,000 population.
Nampa Mayor Tells Businesses Follow Guidelines But Says There Will Be Little Enforcement
April 24 - 5:18 p.m.
Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling said the city is urging businesses to follow the guidelines of Idaho Gov. Brad Little’s phased reopening of the state. But she also said the city won’t prioritize enforcement of the rules.
In Little’s four-phase plan certain organizations, like churches, can open early on with strict social distancing rules. But businesses like bars must wait until the last phase, estimated to be in mid-June.
Kling’s said the city doesn’t have the resources to police every business and will focus on education about the importance of taking steps to decrease the spreads of COVID-19
“Don't open until the stay home order ends April 30th and (businesses) need to follow the governor's guidelines,” Kling said. She also warned that any business with a state license could be jeopardizing that license by opening in violation of the governor’s order.
But, she also said businesses who don’t follow those rules should keep patrons six feet away from each other and make sure to disinfect surfaces.
“We are not going to go in and shut them down,” she said. “But what we are going to do is ensure that they are following the health safety guidelines.”
One Nampa bar, Slick’s, has said they will open in defiance of Little’s order and seemed to take Kling’s statement of non-enforcement as a green light.
To their critics, the bar wrote, “We truly do not care if you disagree…The truth is no one knows if how we are dealing with this is right or wrong.”
Public health experts disagree, saying that continued social distancing and hygiene are key to reducing the spread of COVID-19 and ultimately getting through the pandemic.
Kling said in a statement that “as a last resort, officers who find businesses or citizens in violation and blatantly and unapologetically violating the health district directives may, if necessary, issue a citation.”
But as of Friday, a bar openly defying the order by opening more than six weeks earlier than Little’s scheduled reopening plan.
Idaho's Rediscovered Books Adds A Unique Chapter With Curbside Service During COVID-19
April 24 - 6:44 a.m.
Enduring a quarantine often includes a good book, or two or three. But browsing the shelves of a local bookstore is currently out of the question during Idaho's COVID-19 stay-at-home order. The governor's order inspired Rediscovered Books to reinvent its retail model at its Boise and Caldwell bookshops.
Gov. Brad Little Releases His Roadmap To Reopen Idaho's Economy
April 23 - 5:45 p.m.
On Thursday, Gov. Brad Little (R) unveiled his plan to reopen Idaho’s economy beginning May 1, releasing his roadmap as tensions over his stay-at-home order continue to rise.
Little’s plan comes in four phases in two-week intervals. Starting May 1, many businesses and churches can re-open if they can follow distancing and sanitation guidelines. That doesn’t include gyms, bars, or dine-in restaurants.
Idaho Adds 33 Confirmed COVID-19 Cases, No Additional Deaths On Thursday
April 23 - 5:10 p.m.
Idaho reported 33 more lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the state total to 1721. There are 54 deaths due to COVID-19 in Idaho. Ada County still leads the state for the most coronavirus cases with 601 and the most deaths with 14. Blaine County has the highest per-resident rate of coronavirus cases in Idaho.
Nampa Public Library Offering Curbside Pickup
April 23 - 4:04 p.m.
The Nampa Public Library is offering curbside pickup for materials placed on hold via the online catalog. Library users can check their account for the 'held' status of their requested item. When it is ready, patrons will be notified and can go to the pickup zone at their designated time. Materials will be placed on tables in the parking lot for no-contact pickup between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. weekdays. The library will not require return of checked out items until June 1, 2020.
Idaho Unemployment Claims Update
April 23 - 10:20 a.m.
The Idaho Department of Labor said Thursday,13,032 people filed initial unemployment claims last week, bringing the statewide total since mid-March to nearly 109,000.
For the week ending April 18, initial claims fell 30% from the week prior, but are still 12 times higher than the 2019 average.
The agency said benefits paid out increased nearly 34% last week, now totaling $31.3 million since March 23. There are more than 67,000 individuals receiving on-going benefits.
Coronavirus Threatens State Budgets, But Idaho Is Positioned To Weather The Storm
April 23 - 6:44 a.m.
Governors across the country have implemented statewide lockdowns to stop the spread of coronavirus. However, that very step meant to keep people safe has led to many businesses shutting their doors and millions of lost jobs, all of which means a hit to state budgets with tax collecitons likely to take a dip.
Idaho is in a better position than most to weather a potential economic downturn, but we first have to rewind the clock to last fall to understand why.
Three More Deaths, 29 Additional Confirmed COVID-19 Cases Wednesday In Idaho
April 22 - 5:16 p.m.
Idaho reported three more deaths and another 29 confirmed cases of COVID-19 Wednesday.
That brings the number of deaths due to the pandemic to 54 in the state and the number of confirmed cases to 1,688.
Ada County, which is the most populous in Idaho, has the most cases, with nearly 600, and deaths, with 14. Blaine County, with roughly 23,000 people has the second-most cases in the state and one of the highest per-capita infection rates in the country.
Without Boise State Football, Other Sports Would Be In Jeopardy
April 22 - 8:15 a.m.
Boise State University this week announced furloughs for all staff and full-time faculty. The university says cancelled events and student refunds have cost nearly $10 million in lost revenue. Employees will take between four and 10 work days without pay, depending on their salary.
Athletic coaches and staff are not exempt from furlough, including head football coach Bryan Harsin, who is the highest-paid state employee. For just football, furloughs will save the school around $175,000, based on public salary information provided to the State Board of Education.
Across college athletics, uncertainty around the fall football season could cost schools even more.
Blaine County Group Focuses On Coronavirus Recovery
April 22 - 6:52 a.m.
After a natural disaster strikes, groups like the Red Cross set up in tents or gyms where people affected can go to seek help.
But these hubs, called Multi-Agency Resource Centers (MARCs), aren't possible to help communities in the midst of coronavirus, due to social distancing.
Stay-At-Home Orders Highlight Internet Inequality In The Rural West
April 22 - 6:44 a.m.
As so many telecommuters, teachers, college students and children work and learn from home, there have been fears that the Internet wouldn't be up to the task. But so far, it seems to be largely coping with the increased traffic.
Woman Arrested After Moms Stage 'Playdate Protest' Over Idaho Stay At Home Order
April 21 - 8:15 p.m.
One of the advocates of a movement urging Idahoans to disobey the governor’s stay at home order has been arrested at a protest in Meridian.
Forty-year-old Sarah Brady, who’s affiliated with the anti-vaccine groups Idahoans for Vaccine Freedom Health Freedom Idaho, was arrested at Kleiner Park in Meridian Tuesday afternoon.
Idaho Adds Additional Deaths, Cases To Coronavirus Toll
April 21 - 5:23 p.m.
State officials say another three people have died in Idaho due to COVID-19, bringing the total to 51 as of Tuesday evening. 1,659 cases have been confirmed so far in Idaho, with another 107 the state has classified as "probable."
Commercial and state labs have tested 17,730 people so far. The number of hospitalizations remains stagnant at 158, though another nine health care workers have contracted the coronavirus.
Idaho Employers Take Extra Steps To Ensure Worker Safety During COVID-19 Pandemic
April 21 - 7:50 a.m.
Essential workers include the people who farm, harvest, package and prepare our food. Manufacturing workers across industries continue to come together to work production lines and other essential jobs during the pandemic, and many employers have taken steps to keep their workers safe on the job.
Idaho Businesses Are Beginning To Reopen Despite Gov. Little's Stay At Home Order
April 21 - 7:15 a.m.
The pushback against Gov. Brad Little’s (R) stay-at-home order is beginning to simmer after he recently extended it through the end of the month.
On Friday, Rathdrum Police in north Idaho cited Christa Thompson, who, along with her husband Paul, was hosting a yard sale at their home. The case appears to be one of the first citations issued in the state for violating the governor's order, which is punishable by up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine. Police wrote the misdemeanor ticket after giving three prior warnings over several days, they said.
What Will Idaho's Post-Pandemic Dining Experience Look Like?
April 21 - 6:44 a.m.
America's dining-out experience has evaporated in the shadow of COVID-19. While most restaurants have closed their doors, some have evolved into home delivery or curbside-only operations. Meanwhile, the popularity of home cooking and baking have soared, and the unique new drive-thru model for the Boise Farmers Market has become a wildly popular innovation.
Boise State Announces Temporary Furloughs
April 20 - 5:43 p.m.
In an email sent Monday from Boise State President Marlene Tromp, the university announced it is temporarily furloughing employees in an attempt to protect jobs and recoup some of the losses from the COVID-19 pandemic.
All staff and 12-month faculty who make $40,000 or more per year will be required to take furlough days between May 3 and July 31 of this year. The number of days to be taken without pay ranges from four to 10 days, based on annual salary. Dr. Tromp’s senior leadership team will take at least two weeks of furlough days and Dr. Tromp herself will take more.
Boise State has provided millions of dollars of prorated refunds to students for housing, dining and parking fees that were unable to be used due to the early campus evacuation. This, in addition to the cancellation of revenue-generating events, has cost the university nearly $10 million. That does not include the two-year budget cut the school was already facing.
In addition to the required amount, Boise State employees can also take voluntary furlough days. Dr. Tromp’s email stated another round of furloughs could be possible later in the year.
Idaho COVID-19 Cases & Deaths Increase
April 20 - 5:31 p.m.
Three additional deaths in Idaho were reported Monday — two in Ada County and the first in Elmore County — bringing the statewide total of coronavirus-related fatalities to 48. Ada County is still reporting the highest death count at 12, though Nez Perce and Twin Falls counties are also reporting double digits.
Confirmed cases of coronavirus ticked up slowly over the weekend and 64 were added Monday, bringing the total to 1,638. The state is reporting an additional 98 “probable” cases.
Since the first confirmed case of the virus in Idaho over a month ago, a total of 17,562 people have been tested and 660 confirmed cases are now listed as “recovered” on the state’s website.
New Idaho Graduates Face Shrinking Job Market And Growing Uncertainty
April 20 - 8:15 a.m.
I missed it by a year.
That’s what I keep telling myself at least. When I graduated last May, I tore off my square hat and skipped off into a stable economy.
I moved home to Boise, took a paying internship here at Boise State Public Radio and supplemented my income with babysitting. Late last year I moved across the country to Washington, D.C. and started applying to jobs. With my savings dwindling, I began looking at jobs like the ones I had in college: making coffee, selling clothes, waiting tables.
Elementary School School Teachers Visit Students Via IdahoPTV
April 20 - 6:44 a.m.
As Idaho schoolchildren find themselves in the unfamiliar education ecosystem of at-home instruction, they’re about to see some very familiar faces – elementary school teachers from across the Gem State – appear in the living rooms, via Idaho Public Television.
A new series, “Classroom Idaho: Learn @ Home” will be beamed free of charge across Idaho each weekday, offering instruction to 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th graders so they can finish their studies in a school year compromised by the COVID-19 pandemic.
News & Updates:
- The Idaho Official Resources for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Updates
- World Health Organization Coronavirus Updates
- NPR Coronavirus Coverage
Resources:
