COVID-19 Outbreak Forces Idaho Legislature To Close Its Doors For Weeks

Lawmakers in the Idaho House of Representatives debate a bill this week. The Idaho Legislature has recessed until April 6 due to an outbreak of COVID-19 among members and staff.         Keith Ridler/AP

As of Friday morning, six House members and two senators had contracted the virus this year. Several other staff members have also tested positive for the coronavirus since January.

Top Republicans have repeatedly declined to implement basic public health measures such as a mask mandate or the requirement that members physically distance themselves from others. Instead, they cut capacity in committee rooms and installed air purifiers.

Several Republican lawmakers have denied that the coronavirus crisis should even be considered a pandemic. Some, including Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, attended a mask burning rally earlier this month at the Idaho Capitol.

Cook said his daughter and two friends were visiting from Rexburg, where they attend Brigham Young University-Idaho. Rexburg has had the sixth-highest average of daily cases in the country over the past two weeks. It was third highest in the United States on Thursday, while Idaho Falls remains at the top.