BOISE, Idaho — Governor Brad Little announced Wednesday morning that Idaho is adopting the latest guidance from the White House and CDC to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Idaho currently has nine confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ada, Blaine, Madison and Teton counties. Public health officials say there is no confirmation that community spread is happening in the state at this time. Community spread is when people contract the virus from an unknown spread in their community.
Through the end of March, officials are encouraging residents to not visit nursing homes, retirement homes or long-term care facilities. Ways to connect with loved ones in theses facilities include phone, text and Facetime or Skype.
Avoid discretionary travel and social gatherings of more than 10 people. People should continue to practice good hygiene and work from home whenever possible. This excludes people working in infrastructure industry, such as healthcare, medicine and food supply.
If you can, take advantage of the drive-thru, pickup or delivery options for food. Businesses are stepping up to make these options available in order to serve customers and keep people working.
Governor Little encourages school districts to follow the latest CDC guidelines for school closures when considering whether to close schools for a period of time.
“I am not mandating categorical closures of schools and other establishments at this time. Local leaders and operators of those facilities will make their own judgment calls about whether to do that,” Governor Little added. “Idaho is a very diverse and expansive state. A solution for one area might not be the solution for another part of the state.”
The official source of information and updates on coronavirus in Idaho is https://coronavirus.idaho.gov/.
