Sun Valley is a popular resort town located in Blaine County, Idaho, USA. The average annual income of residents here is around $63,500 and each house has an average price of more than $775,000.
Pioneer Saloon Restaurant
The city has hosted the Allen & Company annual conference since 1983, drawing a host of billionaires and media moguls. Business Insider called the event a billionaires' summer camp. Many billionaires fly in via private jet and stay at the luxury Sun Valley Lodge, which costs between $495 and $1,600 a night.
Wealthy visitors flock to Sun Valley year-round, including movie stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Clint Eastwood. For nearly 100 years, it has been considered one of the top skiing destinations in the United States.
Sun Valley Lodge Hotel
In recent months, wealthy people from bustling cities have flocked to Sun Valley to escape the risk of coronavirus infection. This migration has severely affected the lives of local residents. Sun Valley has even had a higher rate of Covid-19 infection than nearby large, crowded cities.
As of April 13, Blaine County had more than 450 cases of coronavirus and five deaths among a population of 22,000. In early April 2020, the per capita rate of Covid-19 infections was higher than that of New York City. Many local residents believe the outbreak may have originated from the annual gathering of the National Brotherhood of Skiers (NBS), a US sports organization. Nearly 700 people attended the NBS event in Sun Valley from March 1 to March 7. Hundreds of them tested positive for Covid-19.
The city closed its resort on March 15. However, the pandemic quickly spread throughout Idaho, with more than 50 health care workers now infected with Covid-19.
City officials are asking residents from other cities to temporarily avoid coming to Sun Valley to limit the spread of the virus and asking people not to hoard essentials in stores and supermarkets.
