Cases of coronavirus in Idaho spike after businesses reopen

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — For a time in Idaho, it seemed like the worst of the coronavirus pandemic could be over. After an initial onslaught of confirmed cases in the spring, by June numbers had dropped to a point that state leaders felt comfortable allowing businesses to reopen and life to get back to nearly normal.

A new spike of COVID-19 occurrences has prompted some concern, however. The number of daily confirmed new cases has quadrupled over the past two weeks to roughly 345 — nearly double what the numbers were during the state’s first outbreak.

“It’s alarming,” Idaho Gov. Brad Little said Monday.

Idaho is still far from being a national hot spot: The state ranks about 14th in the nation for new confirmed cases per capita, and death rates linked to COVID-19 are minimal here compared to other states — with about 5.4 deaths per 100,000 residents, compared to about 171 deaths per 100,000 New Jersey residents, for example. Death reports can lag behind coronavirus diagnoses by weeks, however, so it's too soon to tell if Idaho's death rate will remain low.

Despite his concern, Little doesn’t anticipate shutting the state back down. He says hospitals have sufficient capacity and stocks of personal protective equipment.

Previous shutdown efforts have been controversial and sparked protests. For the heavily Republican, agriculturally focused state, the coronavirus has highlighted an ongoing clash between ultraconservatives who abhor government mandates and traditional conservatives who believe science and individual responsibility will lead the way through the pandemic.

Idaho reached Phase 4 of Little’s four-step reopening plan in mid-June, allowing bars to reopen and large gatherings as long as people wore masks and took other precautions such as social...