Idaho Gov. Brad Little will allow his statewide stay-at-home order to expire on schedule today, so “non-essential” businesses and other parts of the economy can gradually begin to reopen.
The state will now transition to Stage 1 of the governor’s four-phase economic reopening plan.
“During Stage 1, 90 percent of business will be able to open their doors,” Little said during an hourlong news conference this morning. “To ensure consumer and employee confidence, we’ve laid out protocols for businesses to ensure physical distancing, sanitation and other safety measures.”
Those protocols will be available online, at https://rebound.idaho.gov/.
Little also announced that the state will provide $300 million in cash grants to small businesses in the coming weeks. Businesses will be eligible for grants of up to $10,000 each. The specific eligibility criteria will be posted at https://rebound.idaho.gov/ next Tuesday.
The money is part of the $1.25 billion in federal emergency funding Idaho received through the CARES Act.
“No other state is putting up a larger amount of coronavirus relief funds to help small businesses,” Little said.
For more on this story, see Friday’s Lewiston Tribune.
