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Idaho governor defends not issuing a vaccine mandate as COVID-19 cases surge: 'People have to want to do the right thing'

Gov. Brad Little emphasized his handling of the pandemic while imploring more residents of the state to put their trust in medical doctors and get the shot.

BOISE, Idaho — By the time she called in Tuesday from the small city of Kimberly to speak to Idaho's governor, Gloria was angry and she was in pain.

"I got my vaccine. I rolled up my sleeve, I did my civic duty.  Yet I have a hip that came apart," she told Gov. Brad Little.

The surge in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations forced the expansion of crisis standards of care statewide. Overburdened by too many sick people and too few staffed beds, several Idaho medical facilities have moved to cancel or postpone all non-emergency surgeries, like the one Gloria needs for her damaged hip.

"I am laying here in pain, and I can't get an operation to get it fixed because you’re holding these hospitals open for all of these unvaccinated,  selfish, ignorant people who wouldn't get a shot," she said. 

Is that fair? she demanded to know. 

No, Little told her. It's not.

"It's not fair at all, and I feel sorry for you," he said.

Throughout the noon call with older Idahoans through AARP Idaho, Little repeatedly defended his decision to not mandate vaccinations, masks, or limits on large gatherings, even as he implored more residents of the state to "do the right thing," put their trust in medical doctors, and get the shot. 

"Just as people are not excited about a mandate from the president, they’re probably not much more excited about a mandate from the governor," he said. "Those decisions are made closer to people, the ones where you get the highest compliance."

Just over half of those 12 and over are fully vaccinated against the virus in Idaho, while intensive care units fill up with desperately ill people who are overwhelmingly unvaccinated. COVID-19 hospitalization rates hit a new high last week, with 774 people admitted, while the number of ICU patients - 206 as of Friday - hovers just one person away from the existing record. 

COVID-19 Update with Gov. Little

AARP Idaho is hosting a live telephone town hall right now with Governor Little. We are discussing the most recent vaccine updates. To call into

Posted by AARP Idaho on Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen, who was also on the call, pointed to a leveling-out of testing positivity rates in the last few weeks as "a glimmer of hope," but warned that Idaho's current surge has likely not yet hit its peak

"The truth is, the numbers do continue to rise," he said. 

The COVID-19 vaccine works, the governor insisted. It is safer than natural resistance to illness, the antibodies that come from catching COVID once before, and relying on monoclonal antibody treatment once someone is actually sick. But Little added that he was not certain that requiring vaccines would have the intended effect.

The state will "continue to work on" the challenge of convincing more Idahoans to protect themselves, the governor said.

"People have to want to do the right thing," he said. "Believe me, places where they said 'there is going to be a mandate,' I think you will find that it has not been a panacea. What works best is when people choose to do the right thing."

But answering another Idaho resident's question - this one posed over Facebook by a woman named Sue - Little seemed less sure. 

"Are you concerned your opposition to vaccine mandates is harming the state's efforts to get the population vaccinated?" Sue wanted to know.

"Yes," the governor replied. "That's the short answer." 

At KTVB, we’re focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the virus. To see our full coverage, visit our coronavirus section, here: www.ktvb.com/coronavirus.

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