Legislative COVID-19 Timeline

During the 2021 General Legislative Session, lawmakers passed several bills to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

This page outlines what those bills mean.

March 22


  • All schools required to have 4 days of in-person instruction
  • No soft closures allowed
  • Test to Stay process is implemented (see school manual) when the following occurs:
    • 2% positivity (schools with 1,500+ students) OR 30 positive cases (schools with fewer than 1,500 students)



April 10


  • Removes statewide mask mandate
  • Masks still required for gatherings of 50 or more people
  • Masks still required for K-12 schools (see public health order)
  • Masks still required in state buildings
  • Businesses can still require masks for employees and customers
  • County governments can enact local mask requirements
  • State and local health orders end on July 1 or when the following metrics are met:
    • 14-day case rate is at or below 191 per 100,000
    • ICU seven-day hospitalization rate is less than 15%
    • At least 1.63 million prime doses have been allocated to the state (prime doses are first doses)
  • Utah Department of Health still recommends wearing face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19



May 5

  • The Governor and UDOH must provide 24-hour notice to the Legislature before declaring a Public Health Emergency (PHE) or issuing an Order of Constraint (OC)
  • A local health department must provide 24-hour notice to their county elected officials before declaring a PHE or OC
  • The Legislature or county elected officials may overturn a PHE or OC at anytime
  • 30-day maximum time limit on an initial PHE or OC
  • The Legislature or county elected officials may allow an extension of a PHE with 10 days notice



July 1


  • HB294 ends
  • If metrics outlined in HB294 have not been met, all state and local PHEs and OCs end
  • New PHEs and OCs must follow the requirements of SB195

House Bill 294 Metrics*

Image

158.9

Current case rate

Target: 14-day case rate reaches a level at or below 191 per 100,000 people

Image

10.8%

Current ICU use

Target: 7 day average COVID-19 ICU utilization is less than 15%

Image
1,656,025

Current prime dose allocation**

Target: At least 1.63 million prime (first dose) COVID-19 vaccine doses allocated


*Metrics are updated Mon-Fri
**Prime dose allocation numbers are updated weekly when doses are received

House Bill 294 Metrics*

Image

158.9

Current case rate

Target: 14-day case rate reaches a level at or below 191 per 100,000 people

Image

10.8%

Current ICU use

Target: 7 day average COVID-19 ICU utilization is less than 15%

Image
1,656,025

Current prime dose allocation**

Target: At least 1.63 million prime (first dose) COVID-19 vaccine doses allocated


*Metrics are updated Mon-Fri
**Prime dose allocation numbers are updated weekly when doses are received