On Wednesday, Idaho Gov. Brad Little has ordered the state’s residents to stay at home as part of an increased effort to slow the spread of coronavirus. The order is expected to last for 21 days, according to The Idaho Statesman.
Essential activities are still allowed, which include trips to the grocery store, pharmacy, or picking up food from restaurants. Outdoor exercise is still encouraged, though its suggested it take place near the home. There’s also an added emphasis on the 6-foot spacing between individuals who aren’t members of the same household. The order will go into effect immediately and makes Idaho the 20th state to enact such measures, per The New York Times.
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“Idaho is now in a new stage with confirmed community transmission now occurring in Idaho’s most densely populated areas,” Little said during the announcement. “We absolutely have to have this take place.”
Little added that businesses that don’t provide essential services “must take all steps necessary for employees to work remotely from home.” Additionally, while restaurants are closed to in-house dining, takeout and delivery options were still encouraged during the stay at home order.
“I encourage all of us to support our neighborhood establishments,” the governor added.
On Wednesday, it was also reported that the state’s health districts have reported 92 confirmed coronavirus cases. This includes 24 in Ada County and six in Canyon County, which makes up most of the Boise metro area.
The order from Little comes as 1.5 billion people across the globe have been asked (or ordered) to self-isolate in efforts to help slow the spread of coronavirus. This includes a number of state and local governments who’ve ordered drastic changes to non-essential businesses. According to the CDC, there are 54,453 reported cases in the U.S. and 737 deaths as of Wednesday.
A number of high-profile cases, ranging from Tom Hanks and Idris Elba to Jackson Browne and Dr. Ian Lipkin, who was a medical consultant on the 2011 outbreak-themed thriller, Contagion.
“I would just like to say on this show tonight that this has become very personal for me too because I have COVID as of yesterday. And this is miserable. [If] it can hit me, it can hit anybody,” Lipkin told Fox News on Tuesday. “That’s the message I want to convey.”
For tips on what can be done to further slow the spread of coronavirus, the World Health Organization has tips on its website here.
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