TETON VALLEY, Ida – The cities of Victor, Driggs, and Tetonia in Teton County, Idaho are recommending self-isolation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to minimize community spread.

After consulting with Teton Valley Health, authorities issued the public health notice as a matter of upmost urgency.

Dr. Erin Prissel, Chief of Staff at Teton Valley Health, along with Dr. Nathan Levanger, Chief Medical Officer at Teton Valley Health issued the following statement:

“Due to the long period of time from disease exposure to when symptoms appear, the best way to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is to reduce contact among individuals, whether they are currently experiencing symptoms or not. This is especially important given that individuals who have no symptoms will spread the disease. Therefore, we have asked that the cities and county tell residents to self-isolate at their place of residence.”

All persons within Teton County Idaho, and the cities of Victor, Driggs, and Tetonia are hereby requested to stay at home immediately through April 5, 2020.

Specifically:

  • All persons are advised to stay home except to complete essential activities or go to work to provide essential commercial and government services.
  • Essential activities include grocery shopping, going to the bank or hardware store, going to the doctor, getting gas, collecting curbside take-out from a local restaurant, and recreating outdoors while practicing social distancing and being careful to avoid forming groups of any size.
  • Grocery stores continue to be restocked on a regular basis. There is no need to hoard supplies. Please buy only what you need.
  • Transportation will remain open, and trash pickup will continue.
  • As always, IF YOU ARE SICK, or a member of your household is sick, STAY AT HOME.

If you have questions about your health, please call your healthcare provider or Teton Valley Health at 208-354-2383. If you suspect you have COVID-19, please call ahead before entering a healthcare facility.

Fall River Electric doing what it can

Additionally, as of Monday, March 23, Fall River Electric Cooperative has restricted access by the public to the Co-op’s front office in Driggs as well as the other front offices located in Ashton and West Yellowstone. This action is following recommendations from the CDC as well as local and state agencies and is in response to the COVID-19 virus.

This step will have absolutely no impact on the power supplied to members but will ensure critical business operations continue without interruption.

Fall River Electric’s CEO/GM Bryan Case said, “The health and safety of our members and our staff are paramount in continuing to provide reliable, low-cost power to our members. With that in mind and with our efforts to follow local and state guidelines, we have temporarily closed our front offices to our members and the general public.”

The management team of the Cooperative will reassess the impact of the coronavirus situation on a weekly basis to determine when this closure might be lifted or whether additional measures will be necessary.

Case went onto say, “Most importantly, our members can expect Fall River to continue to provide exceptional service while we focus on maintaining a healthy workforce, and keeping key personnel – such as line workers and member service representatives available to our membership.”

For members who have been making payments in-person at Fall River’s offices, there are several ways to do so remotely. Visit the website to set up payments by credit card, debit card or ACH payments from your checking account. You can also pay using the Fall River Electric app or by phone when calling (800) 632-5726 anytime 24/7. Cash payments can also be made by using the dropbox outside each office.

In acknowledgment of the tough times this pandemic puts many customers in, Fall River Electric will not disconnect electrical service to any member.

If your employment is directly impacted by the COVID-19 virus, please contact Member Services representatives and discuss what arrangements can be made concerning payment of future energy bills. Members can also request the help of Fall River Helping Hands, which is Fall River Electric’s energy assistance organization established to provide financial assistance for the payment of energy bills.

Also, during this time, Fall River Electric cautions members and the general public to be on the lookout for suspicious emails and phone calls by persons impersonating Fall River employees or coronavirus focused charitable organizations. Unfortunately, scammers take advantage of opportunities like this virus to attempt to defraud households and businesses.

Fall River Electric will never make threats or demand immediate payment to avoid disconnection. If you receive any call of this nature, hang up and call Fall River Electric.