We are now at a critical COVID-19 risk level in Blaine County. Our infection rate is 60 per 100,000, with a 15 percent test positivity rate. This is worse than Los Angeles County, where they have instituted an emergency stay at home order. In comparison, our local restrictions are lax and completely irresponsible.
I applaud our local face mask mandate. I’m proud to see our community respects science and one another with social distancing and mask wearing. However, our situation is deteriorating and it appears we are victims of Governor Brad Little’s political posturing, ignorance to the most recent CDC guidelines and lack of backbone to implement more stringent statewide restrictions. And, as the holiday season approaches, this will inevitably bring more virus into our community. Some projections suggest that, over the next three months, Blaine County could experience 1,350-plus infections, doubling the total number of cases to-date. If someone gets really sick, where do we go if St. Luke’s is full? St. Luke’s Wood River averages one or two COVID patients a day. Over the weekend we had nine admissions! We are sitting idly by as our situation worsens, and no one is putting up any effective guardrails to control this crisis on our doorstep.
My husband and I are in a self-imposed isolation—we simply don’t feel safe in our own town. We feel like we are sitting on lawn chairs, in the middle of a forest fire, armed with only squirt guns and waiting in vain for the firefighters to arrive.
As our governor will do nothing to help, we must take matters into our own hands. Who do we need to implore to implement effective, short-term measures to protect our community? We are only a few months away from a light at the end of this tunnel, but drastic, stricter local mandates are needed immediately to help us save lives.
Rachel Clark, Sun Valley
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Can we please use common sense! With almost 120,000 cases and 1150 deaths in Idaho, we need to do what we can to control this virus.
No one wants to shut down businesses or schools.
Wear a mask and keep a physical distance from others, especially when inside. Avoid social gatherings unless people are already within your “bubble”. If you have symptoms or suspect you have been exposed, get tested. And if you test positive, isolate and inform others who you have been recently in contact with.
Yes, the vaccine is on its way, but it will be many months before we reach “herd immunity”.
Stay vigilant my friends for your sake and everyone else’s.
“My husband and I are in a self-imposed isolation”
Wonderful that you can afford such luxury up in Elkhorn there Rachel. Do you enjoy looking down upon all the unwashed masses while sipping a nice Chardonnay and judging all the working class folks who don’t enjoy the economic privilege that you possess?
Limousine liberal; yes, that’s you.
It’s a shame that facts have become politicized and that we can’t agree anymore on the severity of a virus that is killing 3,000 people a day (that’s a 9/11 everyday).
Pay attention to the facts and what the scientists say. Sure, it’s a hardship to not be able to work, but this virus is scary, and wearing a mask and not gathering indoors are simple steps that are easy and should be mandated.
Name calling BCR? I guess you must be a little Trumper.
Pay attention to the facts and do what the scientists say. Sure, this is a massive hardship for every one, EVERYWHERE - this virus is lethal.
For those of you not following the updated CDC guidelines- particularly the gathering indoors- well, you have blood on your hands.
There is no authentic leadership in this country and our state is being run by a republican puppet - so sad. Our once great nation is shrinking in influence, stature and importance.
This a serious war we are fighting - let's be smart, let's get through this, let's make America healthy and well again.
“Name calling...”
Must have hit too close to home for you, if you consider “limousine liberal” insulting.
If you are scared of covid then stay home, it's that simple. We live in a free country where citizens need to have the right to work and provide for their families. The virus survival rate is very similar to the flu where we never didn't do anything like this. And putting LA county as the standard is horrible those measures are unlivable. The poverty that people like you cause from proposing these unscientific fear-based measures will be way worse than the damage from the actual covid disease has done.
Rachel Clark ? Make yourself stronger, go get a few Hyperbaric treatments in Hailey. You might be surprised what you learn.
Dear Ms. Clark - you are doing the right thing for yourself - staying home and self-isolating. That's great, but it needs to stop there. Please don't presume what is right for the rest of us. We're fairly certain these cases are NOT coming from the grocery store, spreading on construction sites, or at schools or school sports, even. No - the spread is coming from private gatherings (to my knowledge). You're not going to stop families from getting together by shutting down businesses, taking away peoples' livelihoods, destroying careers, savings and assets, or by further heaping our paranoia onto our children, further impairing their academic, physical , social and emotional development. Because THAT is the cost of shut downs... . and that's not a choice anyone in our society should get to make for someone else out of fear.
You say covid is spreading in private gatherings, so we should not shut down restaurants, etc.
Here is your problem: people at private gatherings GO TO WORK THE NEXT DAY! They coach kids, referee kids sporting events, drive buses, teach in schools.
THAT is how covid spreads so fast.
Can you see now????
Here is the mortality rate from the CDC:
0-19 years: 0.00003
20-49 years: 0.0002
50-69 years: 0.005
70+ years: 0.054
Pre covid circa 220,000 people died per year from respiratory issues and from the flue and pneumonia. Society never blinked an eye. Nearly 3 million people die every year. Risk is part of life. If you are so terrified from covid then stay home. If you are a teacher who is too scared to do your job than what are you telling the folks who work at Albertsons? They are disposable but you who have such a noble calling to inspire low poor kids to do great things are not essential to the world? To kids? We can afford to toss them under the bus for a full year? Blaine County fear is hurting our kids. Teachers need to do their jobs just like the great people at Albertsons do.
Welcome to the discussion.
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