5. Idaho
Idaho hit a new daily average of 20.8 cases per 100,000 residents, just weeks after the start of stage 4 of re-opening. According to the Johns Hopkins University & Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center, the state has a positive coronavirus test rate of 13.3 percent, well above the five percent threshold recommended for re-opening by the World Health Organization (WHO).
However, the increase in cases has not contributed to a significant shift in the state’s plans for the future; on 9 July, Governor Brad Little stated that the state will remain in phase 4 for another two weeks, with the hope that the classrooms will eventually be reopened for in-person instruction. “It is imperative that students return to their classrooms and interact directly with their teachers and classmates at the end of summer,” he said in a press conference on July 9.
