Cd’A Fourth of July plans canceled due to COVID-19

All of this year’s public Fourth of July festivities in Coeur d’Alene have now been officially canceled.

The Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce made the announcement Thursday afternoon. In a release, the chamber said its board of directors met with representatives from the city of Coeur d’Alene, Panhandle Health District and the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department regarding the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the community.

“Upon their recommendation, the chamber board has unanimously decided to cancel all organized activities for the Fourth of July,” the statement read. “This includes the parade and festivities in City Park. All parade applicants and vendors will receive a full refund from the chamber.”

“This difficult decision is being made so that local businesses can continue to be open as they have been in the prior weeks,” said Derrell Hartwick, Coeur d’Alene Chamber CEO and President. “The Coeur d’Alene Chamber Board of Directors wants to keep moving business forward and not regress, as further spread could lead to not progressing through stages.”

COVID-19 numbers in North Idaho have steadfastly climbed along with the rest of the state. Panhandle Health reported Thursday that Kootenai County had 17 new cases reported, bringing the county’s total to 169. The spread has come as Idaho businesses, tourism and social interactions continue as part of Gov. Brad Little’s plan to reopen the economy. Little announced Thursday that the state was extending its stay in its final Stage Four until July 10 due to the continuing climb of the virus.

“Canceling the festivities over the Fourth of July weekend was an extremely difficult decision for our chamber’s board of directors to make on behalf of our community,” chamber board chair Heidi Rogers said. “We feel this is the most responsible course of action for both the business community and the entire population, as our No. 1 priority is public safety and economic prosperity for all of Coeur d’Alene.”

In addition to the fireworks display, which was canceled in early June, the cancellations now include the parade that was to stroll down Sherman Avenue, and the vendor stands in City Park. Hours later, a statement from the city of Coeur d’Alene further announced that the annual Kiddies Parade on July 3 was canceled, as well.

“After much thought and consideration,” the city’s statement read, “the Coeur d’Alene Recreation Department has made the decision to cancel the 2020 Kiddies Parade. We have made this difficult decision due to recent news that the Coeur d’Alene Chamber Fourth of July parade has been canceled and in keeping with recommendations made by Panhandle Health. The Recreation Department feels that this decision is what is best for our community during this time. We appreciate your continued support for our programs and look forward to next year’s parade.”

“Since the beginning of this pandemic we have relied on the advice of our health care professionals to protect the health of our citizens,” Mayor Steve Widmyer said. “Recently, we have seen a significant spike in virus cases. We need to stop that trend. We can’t afford to go backwards in our fight against this illness. Our health care professionals are advising us at this time having a large gathering such as the Fourth of July parade is not in the best interest of the health of our community. We support this recommendation and we support the Chamber’s decision to cancel the July 4th events to protect the health and safety of our citizens.”

Lora Whalen, director for Panhandle Public Health District, said the public health department stands by the decision.

“We are grateful for our community partners and their willingness to discuss this difficult decision with us,” Whalen said. “Due to the increased community transmission we are seeing, and the sharp spike in cases, we recommended that the Chamber reconsider the Fourth of July festivities. We made this recommendation with public health and safety as our No. 1 priority. This virus has or will affect many of us. We need everyone to practice the precautions we know can slow the spread in order to keep our workforce healthy and our incredible community members safe.”