STORY BY KAREN BOSSICK

PHOTO BY JEAN ENERSEN

Idaho: Isolate.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Wednesday issued a statewide stay-at-home order for the entire state, which saw new cases take a precipitous climb from 92 to 141. The order will remain in place for 21 days and will be reevaluated on April 15.

Little also mobilized the Idaho National Guard to support civil authorities in a yet-to-be-determined role.

The decision came following the announcement that community spread is now occurring in Ada and Kootenai counties, as well as Blaine County. That means someone has been infected and authorities can’t tell how or where they became infected.

When that happens, they assume that multiple people could be spreading the disease, perhaps without even knowing they have it, so it’s paramount to limit contact between people.

Idaho now has 141 cases. It took just three days for the cases to nearly triple from 50.

The 49 new cases represented the largest single-day increase; the largest previous single-day increase was 27 on Monday.

Blaine County gained 23 new cases for a total of 63. The testing tent at St. Luke's Wood River will be open today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Ada County gained 15 new cases for a total of 39. Custer County marked its first case, as the coronavirus has now invaded 17 of Idaho's 44 counties.

The statewide order shuts down all dine-in restaurants in the state, although drive-through and delivery will be allowed. Non-essential businesses like gyms, bars and salons must close, while auto repair shops and grocery stores can remain open.

Residents must limit discretionary travel and any gatherings with people outside their household.

Little said he hoped that peer pressure, not misdemeanor citations, would convince people to do the right thing.

"We want people to get their exercise," he added. "The respiratory nature of this--having a good respiratory system is good."

Prior to Wednesday’s decision, Little had faced a rising chorus of health care workers who said the only way to stop the spread was to issue a statewide isolation order.

The Gem State got a D—among the three worst states in the nation--when it came to a GPS-data-analyzation company’s Social Distancing Scoreboard.

And even Rachel Maddow said on her nationwide TV show that Idaho is the second worst state at coronavirus prevention. Only Mississippi was worse in her book.

“No rush, governor!” she said. “It’ll probably work out okay even if you don’t do anything statewide to slow the spread in your state. Why not risk it? See what happens!”

She noted Wednesday night that Little had stepped up to the plate, even as she continued to chastise the Mississippi governor.

The state is still not doing enough testing, according to health authorities. But it has increased capacity from 12 tests a day to 160.

Idaho health care workers, like those across the nation, are desperate for personal protective equipment like masks and gowns.

WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY:

Blaine County residents are old hats at staying in place since they were ordered to do so beginning Saturday, March 21. But the number of confirmed cases has continued to climb as the disease has an incubation period of up to 14 days.

Blaine County’s cases climbed to 63 on Wednesday, up from 40 on Tuesday. And more than a dozen of them have involved health care workers. At least one more person was flown to Boise on Wednesday for ventilator care.

The Ketchum Fire Department and Wood River Fire Rescue have been helping St. Luke’s Wood River move patients who need hospitalization out of the valley.

To address the demands that places on personnel and ambulances, they have created a Countywide Incident Management Team that will streamline communications and help them better manage resources.

The Ketchum Fire Department and Wood River Fire Rescue will continue to focus on emergency medical services, such as the ambulance transport, while the Hailey and Sun Valley Fire Departments will lend leadership on fire and rescue operations in the north and south valleys.

The Carey Rural Fire Department will lead fire and rescue operations in Southeast Blaine County.

Chief Ron Bateman, with Wood River Fire Rescue, said the move will help take better care of county responders, who are working long hours, perhaps getting back from a transport to Twin Falls at 2 in the morning.

“Communication in a combination fire/EMS system is challenging in the absence of a pandemic,” said Chief Ron Bateman, with Wood River Fire Rescue said “It’s been made infinitely more so right now. We have a small agency made up of full and part-time members and volunteers. And these transports have been felt.”

Bateman said his co-workers are doing their best to keep from adding to the coronavirus tally--any time there’s multiple people in a room they’re wearing masks.

“And we just ask the community to do the same,” he said. “Practice social distancing, isolate and don’t make the situation worse.”

Data using digital thermometers from the health technology company Kinsa have shown that the number of people with flu-like illness began dropping immediately after mandatory social distancing measures were implemented in some areas.

The company, which downloads fever readings from 1 million-plus thermometers around the United States, said that flu-related illness in California’s Santa Clara County dropped by more than 60 percent after residents were ordered to shelter in place on March 17. Miami-Dade County, where beachgoers were permitted to party until a few days ago, has seen its level go up.

Ketchum Mayor Neil Bradshaw says it’s difficult to determine what effect social distancing is having in Blaine County because of inadequate testing and data.

WHAT ABOUT OUR NEIGHBORS?

Oregon, Nevada and Washington have issued statewide stay-at-home orders among the 26 states that are currently locked down.

Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks have shut their gates to squelch the number of visitors  who could put a strain on local hospitals. Highways going through the parks will remain open.

Yosemite and Great Smoky Mountains national parks also have been closed after one official said 30,000 people were still entering Great Smoky daily despite pleas for social distancing. And Zion National Park has closed campgrounds and the Angels Landing Trail to cut down on crowding.