By YVETTE TUELL
Office of Public Affairs
FORT HALL — In the regular coordination call on Wednesday, November 18, between the Idaho Governor and the leadership of the five tribes of Idaho, all parties reported on their respective COVID19 situations.
Chairman Devon Boyer said “Thank you all for calling in. It is important for our brother tribes and the Governor to talk to each other because it is necessary to help each other and work together now.”
The Governor reported his main concern is hospital capacity. Recognizing that the Idaho tribes are dependent on the nearby hospitals, it is a priority for additional actions. The State reverted back to a modified Stage 2, and is conducting outreach to convince the public to change their behavior, especially for the next 120 days. The Governor said, “We have to get through the holidays, and within the next 100, 120 days, are the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year holidays. We need to continue practicing safety measures. The Tribes are doing much to reinforce following safety measures. It is vital to keep our schools and economy going, but most importantly, we need to be healthy.”
Tribal leaders from the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, the Nez Perce Tribe, Shoshone-Paiute Tribe and the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes reported on the current COVID status of each tribal community. The Coeur d’Alene Chairman reported their COVID positive caseload right now is low. But he asked for more coordination between the states of Washington and Idaho due to interstate travelers to their community.
The Nez Perce Tribal Chairman stated they have 392 positive cases overall. They have experienced a high number of cases in the past two weeks, and asked for more off-reservation compliance with masks. They also had a number of positive cases due to exposures at high school football games.
Shoshone-Paiute Tribal Chairman Colin Thomas said on the Duck Valley reservation, they have 92 positive cases, with 44 cases recovered/cleared. Tribal members are being asked to wear masks but they are concerned about the increasing exposures due to social contact via family visits. The Nevada National Guard came onto the Duck Valley Reservation this week to offer testing.
Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Chairman Devon Boyer reported the Tribes have 472 total cases, with 48 active positive cases being monitored, and there are 413 individuals who have recovered from COVID19. There is one person who is currently hospitalized, and 11 confirmed COVID-19 related deaths.
Chairman Boyer stated, “We are all witnessing the steady increase of this viral infection, and as a public health sovereign to another, we must take all measures necessary to reduce exposures to this virus, and incorporate safe vaccines into our community. Thank you for your time to address tribal heath care needs.”
Everyone on the call committed to surviving the next 120 days when vaccines should be available to members of the Idaho public.