Yesterday, Gov. Brad Little announced some great news for Idahoans. Because Idahoans followed the Stay-Home Order and met the outlined criteria, we are able to enter Stage 1 of the Governor’s Rebound Plan to reopen Idaho. That means retail stores, places of worship, and youth activities can reopen by following the appropriate protocols. The Stay-Home Order has been replaced by the Stay Healthy Order for Stage 1. The new order follows federal and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance and was developed in consultation with the DHW epidemiologists.
The reasons we can begin to reopen Idaho are because of your diligence in following the Stay-Home Order and because you followed the recommended precautions. The best thing all of us can do to support businesses is to continue to do the following:
- Engage in physical distancing of at least six feet
- Wear face coverings in public places
- Stay home if sick
- Practice good hand hygiene
- Cover coughs and sneezes
- Disinfect surfaces and objects regularly
Gov. Little also announced some great news for the small businesses of our state. Idaho will be using the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) dollars to provide cash grants of up to $10,000 to more than 30,000 Idaho small businesses. The application will be available on Rebound.Idaho.Gov next Tuesday, May 5. Small businesses are extremely important to our economy, particularly as we rebound from COVID-19 which is why the Governor is making a $300 million investment in them. You can find more information at: https://rebound.idaho.gov/idaho-rebound-cash-grants-for-small-businesses/.
We get many questions from Idahoans, and we do our best to answer them. Some questions come through social media, which we try to answer directly on those channels. Some questions come through our Hotline (1-888-330-3010), and some are sent directly to DHW employees. We are doing our best to respond to each of you in a timely manner. You can also find information on the state’s websites at coronavirus.idaho.gov and Rebound.Idaho.Gov. We appreciate your questions, and we welcome the opportunity to respond.
I have great faith in the people of Idaho that we will all continue to do our part to keep each other safe. I am so encouraged by the many stories of neighbors helping neighbors, of businesses finding new ways to serve their customers, and the many acts of kindness and caring that have been rendered. All of those things make me very proud to be part of this great state.
Thank you for everything you have done to get us to this point. Have a great weekend and stay safe.
DHW Voice 
I don’t understand the ‘great job’ idahoans are getting. People haven’t been doing their best to keep this virus from spreading. Just look at the lines in home depot. Checkout is elbow to elbow. No one wearing masks or gloves. And this ‘it doesn’t exist attitude ‘ is going to keep it a problem for years to come. I message with people in California and Arkansas who all say the same thing. We’re not gathering in churches. We’re gathering in Costco and Lowe’s. I have lung disease so I haven’t left my house. And I won’t be able to because of all the people not adhering to CDC guidelines. May God help us all.
All we had to do was what we were asked to do. Even 2 months of every single person staying at home would have likely gotten the world to no new cases. Well on the bright side it should help with the world’s overpopulation problem. Maybe it will increase low income and elderly housing. Food shortage will probably go away. The planet is healing itself!