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Idaho Governor Brad Little on Friday called on residents of the state to get vaccinated against Covid, citing concerns about the delta variant and its potential to hamper economic progress.
“We’re just urging everyone to get vaccinated,” Little said on CNBC’s “The Exchange”.
Little said his biggest concern and “one of the most damaging things” to the economy would be that kids don’t go to full-time in-person school in the fall and parents stay home. with them. “This will slow the economy, so we want the vaccination rate to go up and protect our citizens of Idaho,” said Little, a Republican who took office in 2019. He was previously lieutenant governor.
Idaho has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, with about 46% of residents aged 12 and over fully vaccinated and nearly 51% having at least one dose, according to the public health division of the state. Both figures lag behind the national rate.
For the United States as a whole, 58% of Americans aged 12 and over are fully vaccinated while 68% have received at least one dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Half of the total U.S. population is now fully vaccinated against Covid, a White House official tweeted on Friday before the CDC released the data on its website.
The number of daily cases is also on the rise in Idaho, as the highly contagious delta variant ravages largely unvaccinated areas of the country.
Little has refrained from imposing a statewide mask mandate, although a few counties and a dozen towns in Idaho have issued local demands in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. In late May, Little repealed an executive order banning mask warrants Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin issued while he was absent at a conference.
“I believe in empowering businesses and local government to do the right thing,” Little told CNBC. “We are supporters of vaccination and all health protocols to limit the spread, but we are very concerned about” the delta variant.
Little said he hopes more residents get vaccinated shows the benefits for those who are reluctant to get vaccinated. “With each passing day that more and more people are vaccinated and protected means that their neighbors, friends, family members are aware of it,” he said.
Despite Covid’s near-term concerns, Little said economic activity in Idaho remains strong. He noted that Idaho’s population is one of the fastest growing in the United States.
“We’re concerned about the new variant and some additional positivity rates, but we’ve just had a great economy booming here right now,” he said.
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