Several states, including Idaho, should return to stronger measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to a document from the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
According to reporting by the Idaho Statesman, a spokesperson for Vice President Mike Pence confirmed the authenticity of the document to Devin O’Malley on CNN.
The document, obtained by the Center for Public Integrity, lists 18 states as in the “red zone” for COVID-19 cases, meaning those states had more than 100 new cases per 100,000 population the week before the document was created July 14.
While the national averages are 119 new cases per 100,000 population and a 9.6% test positivity rate, Idaho had 167 new cases per 100,000 population and a 15.9% test positivity rate. The World Health Organization advised less than 5% of results should come back positive for at least two weeks before loosening restrictions, in a guidance document released May 12.
In addition, 11 states are in the “red zone” for test positivity, which means more than 10% of diagnostic test results are positive. The document was shared with the federal government but was not posted publicly.
Idaho is in the red zone for both cases and test positivity.
The WHO document advised a decline of 50% or more cases over a three-week period since the latest peak and a continuous decline in confirmed and probable cases before loosening restrictions. This type of data would indicate a decline in transmission as long as testing was maintained or strengthened.
The test positivity rate in Idaho has increased sharply despite an increase in the number of tests the first week of July, the task force document stated.
Eleven Idaho counties — Ada, Canyon, Kootenai, Twin Falls, Cassia, Minidoka, Payette, Jerome, Owyhee, Washington and Gooding — are in the red zone. Sixteen Idaho counties — including Bonneville, Bannock, Bingham, Elmore, Gem, Blaine, Madison, Valley, Franklin, Boise, Idaho and Shoshone — are in the yellow zone, which means they reported 10-100 new cases per 100,000 and a 5-10% test positivity rate in the week before the report.
The task force document provided separate recommendations for the state as a whole, counties in the red zone and counties in the yellow zone. Mask mandates, community-based testing and increased contact tracing resources were among the recommendations.
The document reflects the Trump administration’s insistence that states and counties take the lead in responding to COVID-19, CPI reported. Some states, however, are not following the task force’s advice. The document recommended that Georgia, also in the red zone for cases and test positivity, mandate wearing cloth face coverings outside the home. However, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed an order Wednesday banning local government from requiring masks.
Moscow City Council has extended the city’s public health emergency order requiring the use of face masks in public until Aug. 4. The Lewiston City Council voted against a mask mandate July 13. Face masks are not required statewide.
For information on Idaho COVID-19 case counts and demographic information, check out our case count page in English or en Español. More COVID-19-related coverage can be found on our website by searching the COVID-19 tag.
Lex Miller can be reached at [email protected]