In a head-nod toward Idahoans looking for relief from the coronavirus, Gov. Brad Little extended the state tax deadline to June 15.

“We all have experienced disruptions in our lives and finances,” Little said Monday afternoon, “and this extra step helps relieve Idahoans of the burden to meet a looming deadline while allowing Idaho to fulfill our constitutional obligation for a balanced budget.”

The 60-day state extension does not correspond with the federal government’s 90-day extension, which gives Americans until July 15 to file this year. Little told The Press Friday that tethering the two deadlines together would have pushed Idaho past its consitutional breaking point, which requires that state departments have their funds earmarked prior to July 1.

The announcement comes as the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reports 50 residents have tested positive for the coronavirus in a generally untested population.

“As testing ramps up I expect that number to go up,” Little said.

Also known as COVID-19, the virus started in a Wuhan, China marketplace in December but has since infected at least 378,000 people and killed at least 16,490. Here in Idaho, no one has died yet from the disease, and hospitalization has been minimal.

“Our goal is to slow the spread...of the coronavirus,” Little said. “I’m committing to making all decisions based on science.”

Those decisions include a second proclamation that waived at least 125 procedural rules that Little said slowed health care needs. Those rules include bureaucratic barriers that hinder telehealth, place restrictions on physician assistants and make it harder for former nurses to rejoin the workforce.

“These waivers will increase capacity of our health care system,” he said. “...These waivers will also enhance the care of Idaho patients.”

In concert with Medicaid’s decision to suspend co-pays, Little said patients with chronic illnesses like diabetes can get a longer emergency medicine supply of 90 days.

State epidemiologist Dr. Christine Hahn said at Monday’s press conference that she’s heard layperson complaints that the coronavirus is no deadlier than the flu.

“Those of us in public health do — every year — take that very seriously and urge people to get flu vaccinations and try to remind people how serious it can be,” Hahn said. “All the measures we’re recommending [for the coronavirus], we really should be doing with the flu every year.”

That said, Hahn went on to emphasize the challenges a novel virus introduces to the state’s, nation’s and world’s hospitals.

“Influenza, to a certain extent, is predictable,” she said. “It hits every year. Yeah, there’s a range in cases and a range in how many get hospitalized, but it’s somewhat predictable that it’s going to hit every year. Hospitals are ready for flu. They gear up for it. They’ve got the staff. They can handle influenza in all but our very worst seasons where they’re strained.”

The second challenge, Hahn added, was that the coronavirus is a disease humans literally aren’t ready for.

“Unlike flu — which sort of sprinkles throughout the season, and people get sick from October to May — we’re very concerned about a big tidal wave of sudden illness,” Hahn said. “We all have a little immunity to the flu. It changes every year, but almost all of us have had the flu at some point in our lives.

“With [the coronavirus], we could all have a much higher level of illness, a much higher level of hospitalizations, and the hospitals are not ready for that.”