Gov. Brad Little hosted a press conference at 10 a.m. MDT Wednesday about the growing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Here are the takeaways:
Little said Idaho is now adopting the latest guidance from the White House and the CDC, according to a press release from the governor.
With nine cases of coronavirus in Idaho, there is still no confirmation that the virus is spreading from unknown sources in Idaho’s communities, according to public health officials.
Cases are confirmed in Ada, Blaine, Teton and Madison county. Teton and Madison County are bordering counties which are both near the border of Wyoming.
Little is not requiring school districts to close but asked they follow the CDC’s guidelines.
“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 press release and Little are encouraging Idahoans to do the following:
- Do not visit nursing homes, retirement homes or long-term care facilities unless to provide critical assistance, but still to find ways to connect with loved ones in these facilities, such as phone, text, Facetime and others
- Avoid discretionary travel
- Avoid social gatherings of more than 10 people
- Continue to practice good hygiene
- Work from home whenever possible – UNLESS you work in a critical infrastructure industry, such as healthcare, medicine and food supply
- Take advantage of the many drive-thru, pickup, or delivery options for food. Businesses are stepping up to make these options even more available than before, in order to serve customers and keep people working.
Alex Brizee can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @alex_brizee