While the order is in large part an extension of previously issued public health orders, it also institutes new requirements for establishments where lines of people form to pick up food. Wherever possible, restaurants should prohibit the formation of a line. Where not possible, they must require that individuals in line be separated by at least six feet, or a physical barrier that prevents the transmission of respiratory droplets. 

“I am grateful to Utah’s restaurants for their efforts to quickly adjust to new policies. It is encouraging to see so many businesses take seriously their responsibility to protect public health,” Gov. Herbert said.  “I am hopeful that the new requirements instituted today will help our restaurants continue safely offering pick-up and delivery services.” 

The order also clarifies that individuals who test positive for COVID-19, who are exposed to an individual who tests positive for COVID-19, or who are a member of the same household as an individual who tests positive, shall comply with self isolation or quarantine notices. 

The order is effective immediately and remains in effect until April 15. View the order here.

“This decision was not made lightly but is in the best interest of public health in Summit County,” Summit County Health Director, Dr. Rich Bullough, said. “When you look at the data, Summit County is a hotspot for COVID-19 statewide, nationally and globally. At this time, Summit County has 20-times the number of cases per capita as Salt Lake County.  Our cases per capita rival those of the worst areas of New York City and many parts of Italy.”

As part of the Order, visitors in Summit County are asked to leave as safely and quickly as possible. Visitors planning future trips are asked not to visit Summit County for the duration of this Order.  Secondary home-owners who are not currently residing in the county are also asked to avoid the county.

“The County Council asks all residents to comply with this order to the fullest,” Summit County Council Chair Doug Clyde said. “You are the front line in this fight against COVID-19. We expect our hospitals to reach capacity and need the cooperation of every resident to ensure we do not overwhelm our local healthcare system. The actions of individuals will determine the course of this virus in our community.”

Under the order, county residents will be able to visit grocery stores, convenience stores and pharmacies for essential items such as food and medication. Residents may also attend necessary or urgent medical appointments. Residents are not barred from going outside but must practice social-distancing when visiting trails or other outdoor recreation areas. If social-distancing is not possible in these areas, they should be avoided.

Essential services that will still be allowed to operate include the following:

• Essential healthcare facilities
• Banks
• Hardware stores
• Plumbers, electricians, auto repair and other essential utilities and services.
• Farming
• Post offices
• Grocery and convenience stores
• Restaurants whose services are allowed under existing Health Orders
• Essential transportation services

“Our county government is working to support essential services and the COVID-19 response in our community while complying with these Orders,” County Manager Tom Fisher said. “These Orders are a necessary step to protect our population now and in the future.”

This Order is enacted until May 1 but will be reviewed after 14 days. At that point, the Order could be ended, extended or modified. This Order adds to previous mandates that went into effect on March 15 and March 23. Violations are punishable as a Class B Misdemeanor in Summit County. Businesses, employees and members of the general public who have questions or concerns about compliance are encouraged to call the Summit County Community Concerns Line at 435-333-0050.

Gov. Herbert expressed his appreciation to the educators throughout our state who have quickly adapted their instruction to remote learning platforms. 

“These are unprecedented times in Utah’s and our nation’s history,” the governor said, “I have been overwhelmed with Utahns’ outpouring of support for one another, and nowhere has this been more evident than in the way our educators are supporting Utah students and families.”

Distance learning will continue during the extended dismissal for all K-12 public schools, where feasible. Employees will be limited at school buildings, following the Governor’s and CDC’s guidelines to avoid gatherings of groups of ten or more. Teachers are being, and will continue to be, encouraged to telecommute when possible.

“We recognize that being away from school creates additional work and stress for everyone in our communities; however, it is a necessary step in stopping the spread of COVID-19,” said State Superintendent Sydnee Dickson. “During the uncertainties of the coming weeks, it is more important than ever to remain socially connected with our students and families while doing our best to ensure learning continues. The flexibility and initiative of our educators is a shining example of how we rise together in challenging circumstances.”

Meal services at K-12 public schools will also continue on an as-needed basis. Please visit the Utah State Board of Education’s website for an interactive map of emergency meals available for children daily.

In addition, all of Utah’s technical colleges will temporarily cease instruction and coursework beginning Monday, March 30th through Friday, May 1st. Utah’s higher education campuses have previously moved to strictly online instruction; however, given the unique nature of technical college coursework with hands-on instruction and open-entry scheduling, continuing in an online-only model is not widely feasible for students at this time. 

Students currently enrolled in technical college programs will retain their progress toward completion during this pause. In addition, college presidents have discretion to address limited exceptions for delivering coursework online or for individuals or small groups of students nearing completion, following the guidelines provided by the CDC and for which instructional equipment can be properly sterilized. Colleges will provide further guidance to their employees.

“I appreciate the willingness of our UTech instructors and programs to be flexible through this time of disruption,” Interim Commissioner Jared Haines said, “We are invested in the quality of our instruction and want technical college students to have the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in industry. This requires hands-on labs and assessments that we are unable to safely administer at this time. Students will be able to seamlessly resume their progress toward completion as soon as possible.”

The COVID-19 Task Force, Utah Department of Health, and Governor Herbert will continue to monitor and assess the risks, and respond accordingly in conjunction with Utah’s school officials. All of our schools play an important role in protecting our communities from the growing spread of coronavirus/COVID-19. 

Salt Lake City will close all six of its courses for at least a week, beginning Monday, March 23. Davis County is also closing its courses Monday for at least a week.

“We’re going to pause for at least seven days to reevaluate the procedures we’ve already put in place to make sure it’s a safe environment for everyone,” Davis Park head pro Brad Stone told the Deseret News. “We felt like with things escalating like they are, we want to be part of the solution and then systematically reopen when we can.”

Outdoor activities like golf have been considered safer during the COVID-19 outbreak as long as people maintained safe social distancing by keeping at least six feet away from other people. But the nice weather and limits on many other activities has caused courses to become more crowded, making close contact more likely. There are also concerns that the virus could spread across surfaces such as sand trap rakes, flags or carts, putting other players and employees in danger.

Ski resorts faced a similar quandary last week, when they were initially promoted as a safe outdoor activity but began closing soon afterwards because of concerns about employee safety, crowds and high-touch surfaces.

Deseret News photo.

The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles made the announcement Friday in a letter to church members. This follows previous announcements canceling sacrament meetings and restrictions on the April General Conference. In more detail, here are the announcements they made today:

• In the coming weeks, based upon world conditions, substantial numbers of missionaries will likely need to be returned to their home nations to continue their service. This will be done in a systematic way based on the urgency of travel restrictions, the level of COVID-19 concern, and other considerations.
• Returning missionaries will go through a 14-day period of self-isolation and then may be assigned to serve within their home country, based on local conditions. 
• The term of service for missionaries returning to or serving within the United States will likely be reduced to accommodate the large number of missionaries returning from around the world. 
• Missionary training centers (MTCs) worldwide will not receive new missionaries. MTC training for missionaries will take place through technology, and missionaries will be sent to their assigned mission as soon as possible.

The order is intended to limit the spread of novel coronavirus in public spaces. It is similar to orders already issued in Salt Lake and Summit counties. The formal order can be downloaded as a PDF and explained in an infographic.

During this period, restaurants and other food service entities can continue to offer curbside, drive-thru, pick up, and delivery options. This order will be reassessed at the end of this two-week period.

“With the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in our communities, we must take quick action to adjust our daily lives and limit the spread of the virus,” Gov. Herbert said. “We have not made this decision lightly. I know this will disrupt lives and cost jobs, and for that I’m very sorry. Still, I’m convinced this will save many lives, and I’m also convinced that Utahns will step up to help each other and we’ll get through this together.”

The governor also thanked Utahns who are already looking for ways to support local businesses at this time.

“In making these decisions, we still strongly recommend that Utahns buy local, eat local, and support local businesses at this time, in whatever way they can, and within these guidelines. Our local restaurants are great sources of nutritious, secure, and delicious meals.”

Lt. Governor Spencer J. Cox, who chairs the Utah COVID-19 Community Task Force, stressed that Utah has a full-time team focusing on building Utah’s capacity to test for COVID-19.

“Until we have the ability to test widely and institute targeted isolation procedures, we must take every necessary precaution to limit the spread of the virus,” Lt. Governor Cox said. “These preventative measures will help reduce the burden on our medical system, and save lives.”

“The actions taken today are all prudent steps to be taking as we work to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Utah communities,” said Dr. Joseph Miner, executive director of the Utah Department of Health. “It’s becoming more and more clear that one of the most important things we can do as individuals is to practice good social distancing, and this order helps facilitate that across the state.”

The order also institutes additional precautions to be taken by eating establishments, including implementing additional sanitation measures and screening employees for symptoms of COVID-19.

In accordance with recommendations President Trump made on Monday, March 16, the order also prohibits gatherings of more than ten individuals, and stipulates that access to long-term care facilities will be governed by guidance issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The order also recommends individuals refrain from visiting long-term and nursing care facilities except to provide critical assistance, and that individuals over the age of 60, or who are immunocompromised, avoid contact with others. It is also recommended that individuals avoid discretionary travel, inessential shopping trips, and social visits.

If a member of a household tests positive for COVID-19, all members of the household are directed to self-isolate.

Note: Many business owners affected by this and other elements of Utah’s COVID-19 response are now eligible for SBA loans. More information at SBA.gov/disaster.

All of Utah’s ski resorts have either suspended operations or closed for the season to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

Ski Utah has a running list of resorts that have announced suspensions or closures. Most of the resorts closed Sunday, March 14.

Resorts suspending their operations include Alta, Brighton, Deer Valley, Park City, Snowbird, Solitude and Sundance. Woodward in Park City has also closed their indoor and outdoor facilities. All of those resorts will reassess at a later date.

Resorts closing for the season include Beaver Mountain, Brian Head, Cherry Peak, Eagle Point, Nordic Valley, Power Mountain, and Snowbasin. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, most resorts in Utah had originally planned to close in mid-April.

To limit the spread of the virus, Utah health officials suggest that everyone stay at least six feet away from other people and avoid mass gatherings. Anybody who has symptoms that can include a cough, fever, or difficulty breathing should not be around other people and instead call their medical provider. People over the age of 60 or with underlying health conditions should also avoid contact with other people.

The Bookmobiles serve communities in 10 rural counties and Vernon in Tooele County, providing materials for patrons to check-out as well as Internet access and other services. However, with schools statewide closed until March 30 and many public buildings also closed, it isn’t feasible or safe for the Bookmobiles to continue operating.

The headquarters for each Bookmobile will also be closed during that time. The Utah State Library, which operates the Bookmobiles, will follow the guidance of local and state health officials in determining when service can resume.

Patrons throughout Utah can continue to access Utah’s Online Library for ebooks and audio books, movies, music, and more.