The EIPH board makes changes to the public health order during a special meeting on Monday morning.
IDAHO FALLS – The Eastern Idaho Public Health Council voted to remove collection restrictions on Monday morning from its public health order.
The decision brought the local request into line with Governor Brad Little’s revised request issued last week. During Zoom’s special meeting, board members discussed how the decision removes confusion about the order to follow.
Although EIPH has overturned its limits, Little’s order still prohibits many public and private meetings of more than 10 people.
On Wednesday, Little instructed the State Board of Education to revise its high school athletic plan to allow more spectators at sporting events.
According to documents released at Monday’s meeting, the new plan allows for up to 40% of capacity or up to four spectators per student, whichever is greater. The previous guidelines allowed only two people per participant in the athletic event.
Some lawmakers in Idaho are also trying to pass a resolution that would remove collection restrictions altogether as part of the Idaho Rebounds plan established by Little and IDHW on December 30. The resolution is scheduled for a third reading at the house on Monday morning.
Additional legislation is on the table to limit Little’s executive powers enacted in response to the pandemic.
For several weeks, cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations across the state have declined. EIPH reports that there are 364 active cases of COVID-19 in the health district of eight counties. More than 21,000 people recovered from the virus, while 200 died, according to figures updated on Sunday night.
Vaccines to fight the virus arrived in Idaho last month. Since the first dose administered on December 14, data from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare show that 64,157 people across the state have received at least the first dose of the vaccine. At the EIPH, 10,188 people were vaccinated.
Reed stressed that people still need to wear facial covers when they cannot socially distance themselves, wash their hands and follow other guidelines to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“All those measures that helped Idaho and helped our area to reduce those numbers and get to where we are now, this needs to continue,” said Reed. “I had a real concern that (if) we abandoned ours, what would happen?”
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