This article was originally written by Ximena Bustillo with the Idaho Statesman.
One of the Treasure Valley’s most popular getaway towns is asking visitors to stay away.
The City of McCall, along with various medical centers and first responders in Valley County, has issued a travel advisory requesting that visitors avoid McCall until further notice.
The advisory is a response to the spread of coronavirus. The Idaho county with the most confirmed cases is Blaine County, which like the McCall area is a huge draw for summer and winter recreation. Valley County doesn’t have a confirmed case.
The coming week is spring break at many Idaho schools.
“We simply don’t have enough stores, healthcare providers, medical tools or first responders to take care of an increase in population right now,” McCall Mayor Bob Giles said in a press release. “We need to protect people’s public health and safety as a top priority in our area and for the future.”
[Related: Boise State, Boise VA, Micron employees test positive]
The announcement came a day after Gov. Brad Little announced a shelter-in-place order for Blaine County following evidence of community spread of the virus.
“We must avoid reproducing this outcome in other communities like McCall. Though our hospital is prepared to care for the citizens of Valley County and surrounding areas, an influx of people from elsewhere risks overwhelming the limited resources at our hospital. It also continues the spread of the COVID-19 virus,” said Dr. Greg Irvine, St. Luke’s McCall Medical Center chief of staff.
Irvine’s message to all considering spending spring break in McCall and Valley County: “Stay home and stay healthy. Please allow us to do our job of taking care of our citizens.”
