BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Idaho will remain in the fourth and final stage for reopening the economy for at least another two weeks as coronavirus infection rates and hospitalizations remain too high, Gov. Brad Little said Friday.
The Republican governor spoke at the Idaho Foodbank in Boise, where he emphasized the need to support food banks during the pandemic when many people have lost jobs. He said $2.56 million in federal coronavirus relief money will be made available to the Idaho Foodbank for use throughout the state.
“More and more Idaho families are turning to their local food banks and food assistance programs during the coronavirus pandemic,” Little said.
Idaho Foodbank officials say they saw a 10 percent to 50 percent increase in food demand when the pandemic reached the state in March and the economy started shutting down.
“We are experiencing increased food insecurity in our state,” Idaho Foodbank President and CEO Karen Vauk said.
Little also said that $10 million of relief money would go to long-term care facilities to keep residents safe during the pandemic.
Little said the state currently has sufficient ICU beds, ventilators and personal protective equipment. He also said the number of people being admitted to hospitals is stabilizing, and that positivity test rates are falling.
The governor got good news earlier in the day when the state Department of Labor reported that the unemployment rate had dropped to 5 percent in July under his reopening plan.
However, Johns Hopkins University through Thursday reports that Idaho had more than 29,000 coronavirus infections and 297 deaths.
“Generally, we knew when we opened up the economy that we were going to have an increase (in virus infections),” Little said. “We were hopeful that it was going to be at a lot lower level. We like the (downward) trend, but it’s just not fast enough.”
Little issued a stay-at-home order in late March that ended April 30. The state then successfully advanced at two-week intervals through the first three of Little’s four-stage reopening plan. But the state remains stalled in stage 4 that was initially set to expire on June 27. It allows gatherings of more than 50 people as long as precautions are taken.
Little in late June also moved Idaho to a regional response system allowing local entities to decide on additional restrictions. Little, for example, has not issued a statewide face covering mandate. But eight counties and 10 cities have, according to the Idaho Office of Emergency Management.
Some local governments have been criticized by those who think the pandemic is a hoax and are against mask mandates.
“I support mayors and public health officials in their decisions to mitigate spread at the local level,” said Little, who wears a face covering in public.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported that the positivity rate for people being tested for COVID-19 was 9.2 percent for the week of Aug. 9 to 15. That number needs to be below 5 percent before the state can move out of stage 4.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested. Studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for some - especially older adults and people with existing health problems - it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
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