BOISE, Idaho — In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city of Eagle held its annual tree lighting ceremony this past weekend, despite the public health order in Ada County that limits public group gatherings of more than ten people.
The city of Boise has canceled its annual tree lighting ceremony, along with Meridian and Kuna, cities that have also canceled their annual holiday events.
While the tree lighting ceremony in Eagle did take place, the city did cancel their Country Christmas event scheduled for earlier last weekend.
A video posted to Eagle's Chamber of Commerce Facebook page showed as many as 100 people in attendance at the event with few wearing masks.
The event did take place outside which would allow attendees to spread out and practice social distancing. However, the current public health order in Ada County prohibits social gatherings like this, even outdoors.
KTVB reached out to the City of Eagle to ask specific questions regarding the event but have yet to receive a response at this time.
Brandi Furiani, the community liaison for the Eagle Chamber of Commerce, shot and posted the video of the event, stating she wanted to show support for a city-sponsored event.
"It gave my family a sense of normalcy with everything that has been going on," she said. "I know the Christmas season, everybody has their own things that they do, and this has become one of those things that as a family we go and do. We felt comfortable being that we were outside, we knew that the city kind of took extra measures to make sure people felt comfortable with social distancing. If you felt the need to wear a mask, you could."
This Christmas is much different than previous years due to the pandemic. While Furiani does not feel it is appropriate to behave like times are normal, the precautions taken by the city made her feel comfortable attending the event.
"It gave us a sense of peace knowing that we could go to an event that still felt a little normal," she said. "Obviously we can't go out shopping the way that we would normally shop, we can't go out to eat the way that we would normally go out to eat, but I think that this was outside, this was something that is traditional but had these recommendations set in place. It gave that sense of normalcy in the midst of this kind of crisis, panicked feeling that we're feeling probably on an everyday basis."
The city of Eagle did shut down its much larger events. For the tree lighting, there was space that allowed people to practice social distancing. Some people even watched the event from across the street, according to Furiani.
The video posted, however, did not show many people in masks or practicing social distancing.
"I think part of that is there was a lot of families," Furiani said. "I think there was a lot of groups that were there with their own family members or people they congregate with on a fairly often basis. I'm not sure how many people up closer were wearing masks or that kind of thing. I know around me personally, there was a lot of people distanced and I was next to a sign that said six feet of distance, so that's all I can personally speak to."
On Tuesday, Central District Health (CDH) is scheduled to convene to vote on a new public health order. Should it pass, all recommendations from the current health order will become mandatory.
Under the new order, gatherings of more than ten people, indoor and outdoor, would be prohibited.
"[The city] gave everyone the opportunity to be spaced out and not be right on top of each other," Furiani said. "Should they choose to do so as grown adults, to each their own and to each their own of feeling comfortable with that. I understand the recommendations and I think the city gave everybody the opportunity to attend or not attend."
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