The first case relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in Idaho was confirmed on March 13, 2020, when a Boise woman tested positive.[1] As of June 21, 2021, there have been 194,249 confirmed and probable cases and 2,136 deaths within Idaho; 644,342 people have been fully vaccinated.[3]
On March 13, 2020, officials from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 within the state of Idaho. A woman over the age of 50 from the southwestern part of the state was confirmed to have the coronavirus infection. She contracted the infection while attending a conference in New York City. Conference coordinators notified attendees that three individuals previously tested positive for the coronavirus. The Idahoan did not require hospitalization and was recovering from mild symptoms from her home. At the time of the announcement, there were 1,629 total cases and 41 deaths in the United States.[1] Five days beforehand, on March 8, a man of age 54 had died of an unknown respiratory illness which his doctor had believed to be pneumonia. The disease was later suspected to be – but never confirmed as – COVID-19.[4]
On March 14, state officials announced the second confirmed case within the state.[1] The South Central Public Health District, announced that a woman over the age of 50 that resides in Blaine County had contracted the infection.[5] Like the first case, she did not require hospitalization and she was recovering from mild symptoms from home. Later on in the day, three additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in the state by three of the seven health districts in the state, which brought the confirmed total cases of coronavirus to five in Idaho.[5] Officials from Central District Health announced their second confirmed case, which was a male from Ada County in his 50s. He was not hospitalized and was recovering at home. South Central Public Health reported their second confirmed case in a female that is over the age of 70 who was hospitalized.[5] Eastern Idaho Public Health reported a confirmed positive case in a woman under the age of 60 in Teton County. She had contracted the coronavirus from contact with a confirmed case in a neighboring state; she was not hospitalized.[5] The South Central Public Health District announced that a woman over the age of 50 that resides in Blaine County had contracted the infection. Like the first case, she did not require hospitalization and she was recovering from mild symptoms from home.[5]
On March 17, two more confirmed cases of the infection were reported, bringing the total to seven. The first case on this date was by officials from Central District Health reported that a female under the age of 50 in Ada County was recovering at home and was not hospitalized. The second confirmed case was a female over the age of 50 as reported by South Central Public Health officials.[6]
On March 18, two additional confirmed cases were announced by South Central Public Health District officials. One is a male from Blaine County in his 40s and the other a male in his 80s from Twin Falls County. These cases were the first known community spread transmission of the coronavirus in South Central Idaho.[7]
On March 26, state officials confirmed the first three deaths in the state. Two were males in Blaine County and one was a male in Canyon County.[8]
On December 5, 2020, officials warned that Idaho's health system was on the verge of collapse. The state had 100,000 confirmed infections and 1,000 deaths. Dr. David Peterman, CEO of Primary Health Medical Group, stated that 20% of the staff were out because they have tested positive for the virus, and that the organization's clinics were 10–15 days from rationing care.[9]
A meeting by health officials in Boise had to be canceled on December 8 when hundreds of anti-maskers and anti-vaccine demonstrators led by Ammon Bundy demonstrated outside the meeting and officials' homes. One official said that demonstrators were threatening her 12-year-old son. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reported that at least 113,905 Idaho residents had been infected with the virus to date, including 2,012 new cases reported on December 8.[10]
The first Idaho COVID-19 vaccinations were administered to frontline workers at Madison Memorial Hospital in Rexburg, Idaho. A majority of the healthcare workers at Madison Memorial Hospital received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine's 2 shot series. A few of the doctors shared their experiences of receiving the vaccine and answered questions related to the COVID-19 Vaccination. One of the Madison Memorial doctors, Steven H. Lofgran, MD, participated in the Pfizer trial study previous to the vaccination receiving approval.[11]
On March 13, 2020, the same day as when the first confirmed case of the coronavirus in Idaho was announced, Governor Brad Little stated "We have been preparing for this since January when the first confirmed case of coronavirus was confirmed in the United States, we have taken many proactive steps, and we are in a good position to respond. Our focus is on slowing the spread of coronavirus to protect vulnerable individuals and preserve capacity in our healthcare facilities."[1] The Governor also signed a proactive emergency declaration to enable the Idaho Emergency Operations Plan along with making funds available for use in the Idaho Emergency Disaster Fund. This declaration allows for the flexibility to expedite contracts and purchasing of supplies, aids with obtaining critical supplies from the national stockpile along with adding provisions to expedite renewals of state nursing licenses for those who have retired or left the profession.[12][13]
On March 22, 2020, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare addressed how COVID-19 cases were counted in the state. The state counts were based on records that are submitted through Idaho's statewide disease tracking system and don't count the cases by the local public health departments that have not been determined through investigations or been submitted to the state. By doing so, the count is that of Idaho residents and not those who might reside in another state.[15]
On March 23, 2020, the Governor Little signed two proclamations with the first "one lifting restrictions in 125 administrative rules to increase healthcare provider capacity and reduce barriers to healthcare access" and the second to extend the state income tax filing and payment deadlines to June 15 for all citizens and businesses in Idaho.[16]
A variable-message sign encouraging residents to follow the stay-at-home order is seen near Idaho Falls on March 25, 2020
On March 25, 2020 Governor Little issued a statewide stay-at-home order for residents to stay and work from home as much as possible. The order also closed non-essential businesses and banned non-essential gatherings effective on the same day for at least 21 days.[17] Some citizens and officials are challenging the social distancing rules.[18]
On April 15, 2020, Governor Little extended the stay-home order through "at least" April 30, even as protests continued.[19] The amended order further directed residents to wear masks in public, and also mandated that travelers from outside the state self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. It also loosened business closures, allowing some "non-essential" businesses to reopen if they are able to restrict operation to delivery and curbside pickup.
On April 16, 2020, on the podcast “The Jess Fields Show,” North Idaho State Rep. Heather Scott complained that the governor's stay-home order is "no different than Nazi Germany" and that the governor was properly nicknamed "Governor Little Hitler" because, in her understanding, "the nonessential workers got put on a train [to a concentration camp]." Her remarks were criticized by local advocates of human rights.[20]
As of July 21, 2020, city mayors in Northern Idaho would not implement a mask mandate.[21]
On May 27, 2021, after Governor Little left the state to attend a Republican Governors' Association conference in Nashville, Tennessee, McGeachin banned a COVID-19 mask-wearing order he had imposed. On his return the following day, Little repealed her order, saying, "Taking the earliest opportunity to act solitarily on a highly politicized, polarizing issue without conferring with local jurisdictions, legislators, and the sitting Governor is, simply put, an abuse of power,"[22] saying she had, "unilaterally and unlawfully" forbade local officials from determining public-health policies in their own jurisdictions. Had the order not been repealed, Idaho wouldn't be able to develop and enforce protective measures for social workers from making home visits of at-risk patients, or for workers in state testing labs. Little noted that her order duplicated a proposed bill that failed passage in the state legislature.[22] Her order had countered the wishes of state health officials.[23]
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