STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

GRAPH BY PAUL RIES

Idaho topped the national news—aiiiii, the world news feed--this weekend after a hundred children and their parents burnt bags full of face masks in barrels outside the Idaho State Capitol Building. No one was wearing a mask as parents encouraged their children to ‘feed the fire.’

One of the demonstrators told KIDO talk radio that the event was organized by “a highly respected state legislator.” Political scientist Ian Bremmer responded: “Ritualized mask burning in Boise wins this week’s award for acts of symbolic stupidity,” according to an article in The Guardian.

The mask burning came as KTVB told the story of a family in which 12 members of two Boise households recently contracted COVID. A father and his young son remain in the ICU.

And it came as scientists in Oregon announced they have spotted a homegrown version of the coronavirus variant that first surfaced in Britain. And this one features a mutation that may make the variant less susceptible to vaccines, according to The New York Times.

So far, just one case has been identified.

DISABILITY LAWSUIT SETTLED

Idaho lawmakers have settled a lawsuit with disability-rights groups, agreeing to improve virtual access to hearings.

Five advocacy groups and a couple Idaho attorneys had asked that people with disabilities be allowed to testify remotely in public hearings to mitigate their risk of catching the coronavirus.

“No one should have to choose between their health and their right to petition their government,” Amy Cunningham, executive director for DisAbility Rights Idaho, said in a press release. “The Americans with Disabilities Act provides important protections, ensuring that persons with disabilities can receive the same government services as persons without disabilities.”

At least two state senators and a few legislative staffers have tested positive for COVID since the current session began the first week of January.

Reps. Muffy Davis and Sue Chew dropped a separate lawsuit asking for accommodations after they became vaccinated. The two said they were at heightened risk for catching severe coronavirus because of their disabilities. The lawsuit, filed before the beginning of the legislative session in early January, still had not been acted on.

DALAI LAMA BEARS HIS ARM

The 85-year-old Dalai Lama, who visited Sun Valley following 9-11, got his first shot of the coronavirus vaccine this weekend.

“In order to prevent some serious problems, this injection is very, very helpful,” the Tibetan spiritual leader said, according to the Associated Press.

The Dalai Lama and others who live in his residence received the Covishield vaccine, which was developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca and manufactured in India.

GUESS WHO ELSE GOT VACCINES!?

Among others receiving vaccines are nine great apes at the San Diego Zoo. Four orangutans and five bonobos received the injections after several gorillas in the zoo’s Safari Park became infected, likely after being exposed to the virus by a zookeeper.

A SCARY STATE OF AFFAIRS

Utah was recently found to be the most dangerous state in the west when it comes to COVID-19,  according to 24/7 Wall St. It has a disproportionate number of infections for its population size—the most COVID cases per capita. It accounts for 5.7 percent of all known cases in the 13 western states, even though it has only 4.1 percent of the total population.

Idaho accounts for 2.2 percent of the population and 2.6 percent of the COVID cases.

PANDEMIC VISITORSs

Tourism in the Gem State is down only 4 percent, despite the pandemic. Twin Falls saw three times the number of visitors in January and February this year than last, Twin Falls Chamber President Shawn Barigar recently told KMVT.

The Twin Falls area was down just slightly in the number of hotel stays and tax collection, he added.

IT’S CALLED NERD IMMUNITY

Multiple studies show that those who wear glasses at least eight hours a day contract COVID-19 less than those who don’t wear glasses.

MASKED MCCALL

McCall recently passed a new mask mandate after the Central District Health Board’s vote to lift public health orders for Ada and Valley counties.

The mandate, enforceable with a $100 citation, is designed to protect the city against tourists and the new variants, officials said.