Southwest District Health Special Board of Health Meeting Rescheduled
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Southwest District Health Special Board of Health Meeting Rescheduled
CALDWELL, IDAHO – The Southwest District Health Board of Health will hold a Special Board of Health meeting on Thursday, July 23, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. at the Canyon County Courthouse, Courtroom 140, 1115 Albany Street, Caldwell, ID, 83605. The meeting room will have limited seating and will allow for social distancing. Face coverings will be available for those who choose to wear one. The meeting will be available for live streaming at the SWDH YouTube page.
Please note public comments will not be taken during the Special Board of Health meeting on Thursday, July 23, 2020. Public comments specific to an agenda item for the July 23, 2020, meeting can be submitted at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BOHpubliccomment07212020. The period to submit public comments will close at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Comments will be compiled and shared with Board of Health members in advance of the meeting and an overview presented at the Special Board of Health meeting.
This Board meeting was initially scheduled for Thursday, July 17, 2020 and was canceled due to safety concerns. The meeting was rescheduled for today, Tuesday, July 21, 2020 and yesterday a cancellation notice was issued to allow adequate time to ensure all security concerns have been addressed.
The agenda has been simplified from earlier this week to dispel public speculation about the Board of Health’s intent to impose a mandatory mask order. The agenda includes action items to allow Board members to provide recommendations to Southwest District Health and communities regarding strategies to slow the spread of COVID-19 and limit exposure to high risk populations. The recommendations Board of Health members will consider at the Special Board of Health meeting will link to the Southwest District Health COVID-19 Health Alert Level system the public health district recently rolled out. This risk assessment system was developed with input from Southwest District Health Board of Health members and county emergency managers to provide community-specific information about risk for exposure to COVID-19 and recommendations for limiting risk of exposure in areas across the public health district. “The hope for this system is that it will be an effective tool our entire community can use to stay informed of the risk level and applicable measures they can take to minimize risk of exposure where they live, work, and play,” said Nikki Zogg, Southwest District Health District Director. The health alert level system can be found on the Southwest District Health website at: https://swdh.id.gov/covid19-2/#1594683890043-dd9a7ad1-a2c3.
During informational discussion at the Special Board of Health meeting on July 7, 2020, Board members provided feedback to the Southwest District Health Director indicating mandatory face coverings or business closures would not be public health strategies the Board of Health would consider under the current situation.
At the meeting on July 7, 2020, Board of Health members encouraged preventive measures, common sense, and personal responsibility. Board of Health members also acknowledged there are many susceptible or vulnerable folks who know how to take care of and protect themselves as well as many residents who will make the effort to protect those around them without being required to do so. Minutes from the July 7, 2020, Board of Health meeting will be approved at the regularly scheduled Board of Health meeting to be held Tuesday, July 28, 2020, at 9:00 a.m. at the SWDH Caldwell facility and will be posted to the Southwest District Health website following that approval.
Questions may be directed to the Southwest District Health COVID-19 Call Center Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 208-455-5411. Please refer to https://swdh.id.gov/coronavirus for the latest local numbers and data and https://coronavirus.idaho.gov/ for statewide information.
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Media Contacts:
Katrina Williams Katrina.Williams@phd3.idaho.gov
Ashley Anderson Ashley.Anderson@phd3.idaho.gov