Thursday, March 28, 2024
 
Click HERE to sign up to receive Eye On Sun Valley's Daily News Email
 
Officials Urge Calm as People’s Lives Get Put on Hold
Loading
   
Monday, March 16, 2020
 

STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Hailey Mayor Martha Burke tried to reassure her community Sunday in the wake of news that two Blaine County women have tested positive for coronavirus.

Burke said measures being taken by the Blaine County School District to close schools were precautionary and should not cause alarm.

She was not the only official urging people not to panic.

Idaho State Police had to quell rumors that Idaho planned to close its borders to Washington and Oregon.

And Gov. Brad Little asked Gem State residents not to hoard food: “There is no shortage of food. And the water supply is clean and safe to drink.”

Little declined to close all schools in the state, as fellow governors in Oregon, Washington and elsewhere have done. But most Treasure Valley schools announced they would close for two weeks beginning today.

There was no new information on Sunday about the two Blaine County women who were revealed to have tested positive on Saturday.

One, in her 50s, experienced mild symptoms and is at home self-isolating. The other—in her 70s—was hospitalized but is recovering.

It is apparent that some valley residents are exercising more caution following the news of the positive tests. In several cases Sunday people could be seen practicing social distancing even while out taking walks.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, stressed how important social distancing is on Sunday as he made the round of Sunday morning TV shows. Young people in particular aren’t practicing it because they believe the risk to them is minimal and they don’t realize they can be carries to at-risk populations, he said.

State Epidemiologist Christine Hahn estimates that between 15 percent and 35 percent of Idaho’s population will contract the illness. Given what’s happened so far, about 80 percent of those should have mostly mild symptoms.

The average age of those who have died so far is 80; the mortality rate is 2.6 percent in the United States and 3.6 percent worldwide.

~  Today's Topics ~


Lou Whittaker Leaves Behind a Legacy of Mountaineering and Storytelling

Free Range Poetry Society to Hold Second Gathering Tonight

Easter Bunny to Begin Hopping Friday
 
 

 

 

 
Website problems? Contact:
Michael Hobbs
General Manager /Webmaster
Mike@EyeOnSunValley.com
 
Got a story? Contact:
Karen Bossick
Editor in Chief
(208) 578-2111
Karen@EyeOnSunValley.com
 
 
Advertising /Marketing /Public Relations
Leisa Hollister
Chief Marketing Officer
(208) 450-9993
leisahollister@gmail.com
 
Brandi Huizar
Account Executive
(208) 329-2050
brandi@eyeonsunvalley.com
 
 
ABOUT US
EyeOnSunValley.com is the largest online daily news media service in The Wood River Valley, publishing 7 days a week. Our website publication features current news articles, feature stories, local sports articles and video content articles. The Eye On Sun Valley Show is a weekly primetime television show focusing on highlighted news stories of the week airing Monday-Sunday, COX Channel 13. See our interactive Kiosks around town throughout the Wood River Valley!
 
info@eyeonsunvalley.com      Press Releases only
 
P: 208.720.8212
P.O. Box 1453 Ketchum, ID  83340
LOGIN

© Copyright 2023 Eye on Sun Valley