ALERT: Kootenai County to Require Masks Effective Immediately

If you live in the Panhandle Health District be advised that residents of Kootenai County are now required to wear face coverings.  The mandate requires every person in Kootenai County to wear a face covering that completely covers their nose and mouth when they're in a public place and they can't maintain a distance of six feet.

For more information and specifics on the new ordinance, please visit the Panhandle Health District website for more details.  Click here to preview the initial draft order.  You can also print and display the stop the spread and wear a mask sign that the cities of Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls jointly designed.

Many Idaho cities and counties like McCall, Moscow, Ketchum, Hailey, Driggs, Boise and Ada County have adopted similar mask ordinances.  Each community wide ordinance has both similarities and nuanced differences. We strongly suggest you review your city, county and/or regional health district website to understand the requirements in your community.  

Here’s a quick round up of information and guidance that you, our nonprofit friends, can use.

COMMON AREAS:  For us, we treat all common areas inside and outside of our building to be public spaces. For clarification, you should contact your local officials for guidance. However, wearing a mask everywhere you go is the kind and the right thing to do to protect others.  

WORK FROM HOME: Here at the Idaho Nonprofit Center, our team continues to work remotely and plan to do so for the indefinite future. We strongly encourage all nonprofit employers to continue to allow employees to remotely work if there is no compelling reason to return to the office. You can read our return to work policy if that is helpful to you. We were already requiring masks if any of our staff are in the office together before the Ada County mandate, as the health and safety of our staff and their families are of utmost importance.

IF SOMEONE TESTS POSITIVE:  Panhandle Health District also has some great resources for nonprofits.  Check out their flow chart on what to do when COVID strikes your business and their guidance for what to do if an employee tests positive.

MEETINGS AND EVENTS: If you are planning to host meetings or events with no more than 50 people, your local health district will be able to provide guidance on how to host them safely, here’s an example from our Central District Health office in our region. Rebound Idaho has a comprehensive resource as well.

If you need access to PPE for your office, remember there is a resource through the state of Idaho, and for nonprofits without the budget to pay for it, there’s a resource to acquire PPE for free.

Please also join the Idaho Nonprofit Center and other nonprofits and businesses and sign the One Idaho pledge.

We must do all we can to protect our friends and neighbors. Remember that wearing a mask is the kind and neighborly thing to do. The scariest part of the virus is the rapid transmission from asymptomatic people. You may not have symptoms but have the virus. Wearing a mask helps ensure you are not unknowingly spreading the virus.

Stay safe, stay happy, and healthy!