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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><img width="624" height="147" style="width:6.5in;height:1.5277in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D7F659.AC0AA520"></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Dec. 21, 2021<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:22.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">National study finds Idaho one of best states for pandemic response<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Boise, Idaho - A new State Pandemic Scorecard shows Idaho ranks #4 overall, #3 for education, and #4 for economy in our handling of the pandemic under the leadership of Governor Brad Little.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">"Idaho's high ranking among states for our pandemic response reinforces our emphasis on choice and freedom. Our businesses and schools stayed open. I never put in a place a mask mandate
or a vaccine mandate. We banned vaccine passports, and our legal challenges to Biden's overreaching vaccine mandates are working,"</span></b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> Governor Little said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Idaho came in #4 overall, behind Nebraska, Maryland and Utah. Education, the economy, health, and social impacts were considered.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">In education, Idaho ranked #3, behind South Dakota and Oklahoma. The study shows Idaho students experienced little or no learning loss in math and reading and change in school enrollment was
minimal.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">On the economy, Idaho had strong GDP growth, low unemployment, and job growth. We ranked #4, behind Nebraska, South Dakota, and Utah.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">View the full Politico State Pandemic Scorecard here:
<a href="https://www.politico.com/interactives/2021/covid-by-the-numbers-how-each-state-fared-on-our-pandemic-scorecard/">
https://www.politico.com/interactives/2021/covid-by-the-numbers-how-each-state-fared-on-our-pandemic-scorecard/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"># # #<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Marissa Morrison, Press Secretary</span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">208-943-1686 or </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"><a href="mailto:marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="text-decoration:none">marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov</span></span></a><span class="normaltextrun"> </span><span class="eop"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">--</span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"><a href="https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001jPcDrZTUF2iffZAaFR5CaCO9D9OTNmcIrS9m2JnRBQLxSmCCDvAfzkhQC6WRNcW4O6931CUyPvAzTSP21AiJ4rioUvabaHbWJxzuwF2hEYM%3D#_blank"><span class="normaltextrun"><i><span style="text-decoration:none">Sign
up to receive news from Governor Little</span></i></span></a><span class="eop"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><i><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">Reply to this e-mail to unsubscribe</span></i></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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