Utah to lessen COVID-19 restrictions and provide face masks to every citizen

Utah Gov. Gary R. Herbert and Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, pictured at right, wear Utah made masks with a depiction of Delicate Arch on them as they attend the daily COVID-19 briefing at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, April 28, 2020.

SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Gary Herbert announced plans to transition the state’s restrictions from “high” to “moderate” and also a new partnership to provide face masks to every citizen. The change will begin Friday, just over a month after the state was placed under red restrictions.

Gov. Herbert said the transition was “good news” for the state. The change does not apply to citizens over the age of 65 or those who have other underlying health conditions that keep them in the high risk category.

This is not going back to business as usual,” Gov. Herbert said, “we’re not to that point yet, that would be in the green stage. This is our second level, red to orange. It means that we still have risks for COVID-19. It is a chance for us to open up more economic opportunity. It will only maintain itself at this new orange level if we have continued vigilance.”

Social distancing recommendations will remain in place. Employees should work from home when possible. Parks will remain open but playground equipment is still off limits. Traveling outside of the state is discouraged and trips should be limited as much as possible. Schools and churches will remain closed, possibly through the summer. Groups of 20 or more are now prohibited from congregating.

Gov. Herbert said he has been disappointed with the lack of people wearing face masks in public. It has become one of his “pet peeves” and could impact how quickly the state moves to lower levels of restrictions.

“There are certain situations and locations where you should be wearing a mask,” explained Gov. Herbert. “Helping others around you stay safe. Keeping yourself safe. That is an important aspect of this effort to slow the spread of this coronavirus, and needful if we are going to get from stabilization into recovery. It is urgent. That is why I’m excited to announce the launch of what we call ‘A Mask For Every Utahan,’ which is a new project designed to provide an additional 2 million masks to help protect the health of Utahans through this COVID-19 pandemic.”

The masks are being provided free of charge to citizens that don’t have one and are in targeted populations. They can be ordered at coronavirus.utah.gov/mask. Funding for the collaborative project comes from the federal government’s CARES Act.

Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox said the mask project is a sign of progress toward a new normal. The wearing of face masks will remain encouraged until scientists find a cure to the virus.

“We’re asking you to help each other out,” said Lt. Gov. Cox. “We know that it is an inconvenience. We know it is not fun but knowing that this little thing right here (holding up a face mask) could prevent us from doing what we have had to do the last five-six weeks, will help us grow our economy, will help us get people back to work and save lives. It is worth it for all of us to do it. So please, please, please put on your mask.

Dr. Angela Dunn, state epidemiologist with the Utah Department of Health, speaks during the daily COVID-19 briefing at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, April 28, 2020.

Tuesday’s press conference at the state capitol was held as the Utah Department of Health confirmed four more people had died from the coronavirus, bringing the total number of fatalities to 45. There were also 110 new cases of COVID-19 recorded, a 2.5 percent growth rate. The report showed a total of 4,343 cases within the state, resulting in 370 hospitalizations throughout the outbreak.

Utah epidemiologist Angela Dunn agreed that moving the state’s restrictions from “high” to “moderate” is an equal balance. It will help reopen the economy and still help protect citizens that are the most vulnerable to COVID-19.

“Right now we are seeing a flattening of the curve and a slow reopening is a good idea in order to see that flattening and even a decrease,” said Dunn. “We are going to rely on everyone to continue to social distance where possible, wear a mask when you are not social distancing, and of course staying at home if you are at all sick or have been around anyone who is sick. That will make sure that we continue to protect the most vulnerable, while seeing a decrease in cases.”

For the third day in a row, the Bear River Health Department reported no new cases. There are a total of 60 positive cases reported in northern Utah, 43 in Cache County, 17 in Box Elder County and none in Rich County.


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5 Comments

  • Maria Cordero April 28, 2020 at 9:38 pm Reply

    On Sunday, I took my elderly mother out on a walk just down the street from our house. She was extremely nervous about leaving the house after over a month of being cooped up inside because of the pandemic. But I convinced her to do it, because she needed exercise to improve the circulation in her legs. We were very cautious, as we both have been this whole time, because she is not only elderly but has several preexisting conditions. Both she and I wore masks on this very brief outing. But we found that no one else that we encountered out there was wearing a mask or exercising the recommended physical distancing, and that felt very scary. We quickly returned home. Friends have reported to me that few people in town or at the university are wearing masks. How can we trust other people to start taking this more seriously?

    • Blayne May 1, 2020 at 2:31 pm Reply

      I don’t think you have much to worry about, really. With only a handful of cases in Cache Valley, your chance of getting the virus here is near zero. That being said, if your health falls in the high risk category, it may be best to stay home for a few more days. But the worse days are behind us, so that’s good.

  • BEF April 29, 2020 at 8:43 am Reply

    The correct link does NOT have an S on the end. Just …./mask/

    https://coronavirus.utah.gov/mask/

  • BEF April 29, 2020 at 8:44 am Reply

    (The text of the link is correct, but the link itself is wrong.)

  • Kathryn Tobler May 4, 2020 at 6:09 pm Reply

    Six please and thank you

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