There are several ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as it continues to affect Idaho’s communities. As of early July, Idaho has reported over 6,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases. About 200 additional confirmed cases are announced each day as well. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has confirmed 1,727 positive cases of COVID-19 over the past week. The first week of April, during Idaho’s stay-home order, IDHW reported 684 confirmed cases.
Current case numbers can be found on our case count page here.
The state is in Stage Four of Idaho Rebounds, which means Idaho is nearing a complete reopening. As Idaho moved into Stage Four, the number of cases reported daily skyrocketed. In response, Gov. Brad Little extended the duration of Stage Four by two weeks.
Over the past few days, Moscow received informal notice that as many as three businesses may have been exposed to COVID-19. Ada county was ordered to return to Stage Three and to close all bars because the area still reports large numbers of confirmed cases.
“The goal all along has been to ensure our hospitals aren’t overrun with people seriously ill from complications of this highly contagious respiratory disease,” Little said in a statement June 25. “You can engage in the economy, safely go back to work and safely receive care from your medical provider, but you must do so while practicing the proven measures to fight the spread of coronavirus.”
Idahoans are urged to wear face coverings and continue social distancing as much as possible. They are also encouraged to wash their hands for 20 seconds with soap and water, to sanitize frequently touched surfaces regularly and to stay home if they are sick. Social distancing, or maintaining a distance of six feet between yourself and others while in public, also prevents the disease from spreading. This aligns with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A cloth face covering does not serve as a substitute for social distancing, according to the CDC. Surgical masks and N95 masks should be saved for medical workers and first responders since there has been a shortage in medical-grade masks.
Other CDC guidelines include always covering coughs and sneezes, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces daily and staying alert for symptoms of COVID-19.
For more information on current information on COVID-19, including tips on preventing the spread, common symptoms, recommendations for different types of businesses and more, check the CDC COVID-19 website.
Anteia McCollum can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @antxiam5