Madison County moved to high-risk level in revised COVID-19 response plan - East Idaho News
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Madison County moved to high-risk level in revised COVID-19 response plan

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REXBURG — Madison County is the first region in eastern Idaho to be moved into the high-risk category of the Eastern Idaho Public Health COVID-19 Regional Response Plan.

The change comes during a time when Rexburg is seeing a sharp rise in cases – so much so, that the New York Times has put the region on a list of the worst outbreaks in the country over the last several weeks.

On Thursday, the EIPH board met and moved Madison County from moderate- to high-risk. A mandatory mask mandate and limits on the size of social gatherings went into effect when the county hit moderate-risk. At high-risk, those mandates will continue, but no new restrictions will be put in place in the county of roughly 40,000 people.

EIPH officials say the move serves as a reminder that the situation is serious, and the increasing number of hospitalizations are taxing medical resources — particularly staffing.

“I just want to acknowledge there are people that already think we’ve been doing too much and there are others that think we’re not doing enough,” Geri Rackow, EIPH district director, said in the meeting. “We as public health … there is only so much we can do and people need to take personal accountability.”

Another change made during the meeting was a change to the threshold between moderate- and high-risk. Previously the high-risk level was reached when 50 people for every 10,000 became sick. It’s now been changed to 30 people per 10,000. Previously, the high-risk category also had additional restrictions, however, those have been removed.

The board talked about how it’s been difficult to enforce the already standing orders like masks and limits to social gatherings.

As of Wednesday evening, Madison County had 248 active cases of COVID-19, a number that has recently topped the local EIPH health data charts. The infection rate in the county is 62.1 per 10,000 people,

On Monday, the New York Times, reported the Rexburg metropolitan area had the second greatest COVID-19 outbreak in the entire country. At one point during the week, the area reached the number one spot before moving back to number two as of Thursday afternoon.

“I’m confident we will get control of this and get off the New York Time’s list,” EIPH chairman Bryon Reed said during the meeting. Reed is also a Bonneville County commissioner.

Rackow’s earlier comment on people’s need for personal accountability comes down to following COVID-19 risk reduction strategies. These include staying home when sick, monitoring your health, washing hands or using hand sanitizer, maintaining a physical distance of at least six feet from others, and wearing a face-covering when not able to physical distance.

“We believe that if these four mitigation strategies are done consistently, we would see a decrease in cases of COVID-19, less hospitalizations, and ultimately, less deaths. Our concern right now is the increase in hospitalizations that we are experiencing in our region,” Rackow said in a news release. “We want individuals to make choices consistent with public health recommendations to slow the spread of the virus and reverse this concerning trend.”

The removal of the unenforceable restrictions in turn, will allow the board to focus on promoting education about the virus and helping people implementing the mitigation strategies in their lives. EIPH will also continue to work with local governments on how to best pursue the effort.

“Two mitigation measures that will remain in the plan are health orders requiring face coverings and limitations on social gatherings and events outside of the minimal risk level,” EIPH officials said in a news release. “This is because these are two proven public health strategies that can help slow the spread of the virus.”

EIPH officials confirmed with EastIdahoNews.com that the finalized version of the new plan is expected to be published early next week.

COVID-19 has impacted Madison County in more ways than one. Last week, due to the increasing number of cases, Brigham Young University-Idaho warned it may have to close down again to slow the spread of the virus. On Thursday, the Rexburg Farmers Market announced Friday would be their last day of the season due to the rising case numbers.

While COVID-19 continues to through a wrench into everyday life, the best news continues to be the COVID-19 recovery rate. Nearly 8,000 people have recovered from the virus in eastern Idaho and some 23,000 have recovered statewide.

For a closer look at the numbers visit the EastIdahoNews.com COVID-19 page.

The EIPH meets regularly about COVID-19. These meetings include updates from health officials, hospitals, and local leaders. Watch the latest meeting here.

EIPH also has a COVID-19 call center to answer questions. Call (208) 522-0310 or toll-free at (855) 533-3160. The call center is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In addition, questions can be submitted via email to COVIDQuestions@eiph.idaho.gov or asked through their Facebook page.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this email said the population of Madison County was 53,000. However, that is the population of the Rexburg Micropolitan Area, which includes Fremont County, according to the U.S. Census. The county’s population is closer to 40,000.

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