BLAINE COUNTY, Idaho — The Blaine County Board of County Commissioners is urging people and not to travel outside Blaine County to neighboring counties for casual travel and recreation, hotel stays, shopping and other activities that are not defined as essential under the stay-at-home order given on March 25.
To minimize the risk of spreading coronavirus, residents should minimize travel for essential activities and eliminate all non-essential travel. The order permits outdoor recreation with social distancing. If residents want to get outside for exercise, they should do it in Blaine County, not in other counties. The order permits shopping for essential goods and services. Residents are advised to buy in Blaine County, not in other counties. Those who are sick must stay in their homes.
The purpose of the order is to prevent the spread of coronavirus. All Idahoans are directed to self-isolate due to evidence of community spread of the disease and to stop it.
"It is up to the citizens of Blaine County to do their part to limit the spread of this deadly disease. It is also up to citizens to ease the minds of residents in neighboring counties, who are concerned they are at greater risk of becoming infected due to the high volume of travelers from Blaine County," said the Board of County Commissioners in a press release.
If you must travel for essential purposes, maintain social distancing and all other health sanitary practices at all times, do not gather in groups, and return home as soon as possible after your outing. Also, remember that businesses may enact their policies to prevent community spread.
Similarly, anyone traveling into Blaine County from anywhere else must do so only for essential purposes, as the order defines, and must follow social distancing and all other public health and sanitary guidelines issued by the South Central Public Health District. Non-residents traveling here to stay for more extended periods are strongly encouraged to self-isolate at their local residence, upon arrival for 14 days.
“We owe it to ourselves and our neighbors to do everything we can to slow the spread of coronavirus,” said Commissioner Angenie McCleary. Commissioner Jacob Greenberg said,
“Each of us contributes to the goal of stopping the spread of coronavirus, which affects all of us. We must be smart and do our part to succeed, so we’re able to return to normal life sooner, rather than later.”
