CALDWELL, Idaho — The Canyon County Board of Commissioners adopted a proactive emergency declaration to aid in the coronavirus response effort. Canyon County has been working closely with public health experts at Southwest District Health.
In light of what is happening nationally, in neighboring states and now in Idaho, an emergency declaration ahead of any confirmed cases in Canyon County is a way Canyon County can be prepared to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on its community.
“This is a proactive measure that allows County Commissioners to more quickly address the constantly changing developments, should the need arise,” said Christine Wendelsdorf, Canyon County Emergency Operations Manager. “This is just one more tool to assist in the mitigation of the situation we are currently facing.”
Intended to supplement Governor Little’s March 13, 2020, emergency proclamation, the County’s declaration helps “allow Canyon County to prepare for and be ready to quickly respond to the growing demand for resources from our first responders and healthcare partners,” said Dr. Nikki Zogg, Southwest District Health Director. Dr. Zogg added, “At this time, we are managing the increased workload and resource needs; however, we anticipate that a confirmed case in the county will put additional strain on our essential personnel and resources, and I am pleased to see that Canyon County is thinking ahead.”
The steps taken so far help ensure that Canyon County officials have the ability to:
· Commit to mutual aid agreements
· Redirect funds for emergency use, and
· Order other measures found to be immediately necessary for the protection of life and/or property.
The initial declaration will last for 7 days and can be extended to 30 days upon motion of the Board of County Commissioners.
Southwest District Health continues to closely monitor the rapidly changing novel coronavirus situation. There are five confirmed COVID-19 cases in Idaho as of Saturday, March 14 and the risk to the Idaho public is still believed to be low. However, this virus is likely to spread to new areas including our region.
For more information and more details about novel coronavirus, visit https://coronavirus.idaho.gov/ or https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html
