Bar goers in downtown Boise may have been exposed to coronavirus, health district says

If you went bar hopping Friday, June 5, or Saturday, June 6, in downtown Boise, Central District Health says you may have been exposed to the coronavirus.

CDH says a group of at least 10 individuals visited multiple bars in Boise on those dates while infectious with COVID-19. Five of the individuals tested positive for the virus, while five others are considered probable cases.

Bars in the area of 6th and Main streets where the infected patrons visited during the evening hours of June 5 and 6 included Amsterdam Lounge, Cactus Bar, Humpin’ Hannah’s, Silly Birch, StrangeLove and Tom Grainey’s.

CDH recommends that anyone who visited any of the establishments or spent time in the area of 6th and Main on those days monitor themselves for any of the following symptoms: fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, muscle pain, sore throat or new loss of taste or smell, through June 20. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.

Anyone who experiences any of those symptoms is advised to contact their health care provider.

“As Idaho continues to reopen, illness clusters like this one are a reminder that COVID-19 is still very present in our communities,” Central District Health District Director Russ Duke said in a press release. “It is especially important that we find our new normal, which needs to include wearing face coverings, especially in situations where sufficient physical distancing isn’t possible, and continuing to look for ways to limit face-to-face exposure. Any interaction with others, particularly in close contact, puts us at greater risk for becoming infected with coronavirus.”

CDH said its epidemiologists will continue their investigation into this illness cluster, which includes specific contact tracing.