Idaho Republican Gov. Little says he won't slow reopening of state amid spot coronavirus outbreaks

Idaho Rep. Gov. Brad Little says he has no plans to scale back the reopening of his state, amid a recent increase in the number of coronavirus cases, citing only regional outbreaks.

“Statewide, I’ve still got counties where there’s zero positivity," Little said in a recent NPR interview. “I’ve got some counties where there’s not one confirmed case.”

He said one hotspot is Ada County, in which the state capital of Boise is included. 

Little said that gatherings in bars, nightclubs and large events are being scaled back in that county “and other communities are also doing the same.”

The state reportedly had 500 additional virus cases since the past week. The total number of cases in Idaho, population 1.8 million, is now reportedly at 15,380, with 123 related deaths.

The governor also said he doesn’t intend to implement a statewide mask mandate and that Idaho still plans to send children back to school, though on a regional basis.