UTAH, July 9, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A day after Wednesday’s record-setting high in new COVID-19 cases (722) and deaths (seven), Gov. Gary Herbert talked to the public via news conference about the threat Utah is facing with COVID-19.
On Thursday, Herbert announced he had mandated the use of masks by students, teachers and school personnel when school restarts in late August. Masks will be worn on buses and in school, he said.
Herbert offered schools some flexibility on how to handle the youngest students, who may be frightened of wearing masks.
Herbert then turned to Utah’s adult population, and asked citizens to wear face coverings. But he stopped short of mandating masks.
“… I’m going to issue us all a challenge,” he said. “As Utahns, again in the spirit of cooperation, and collaboration, and working together for the common good, as we care about each other, as we should as neighbors and friends, as we care about our families and we care about our future, for our economic opportunities, we need to do better. So I’m going to challenge all of us to help do what we need to do to get our average case rate below 500 by August the 1st.”
Herbert said all of Utah’s 41 school districts need to submit a plan on how to operate as safely as possible by that date.
“Let us see what we can do to change our behavior, not because government is compelling us to do it, but because it’s the right thing to do,” Herbert said. “I hope we can appreciate that distinction. It may get us to the same result.”
Utah’s state government has provided educational information and behavioral guidelines on how to lessen the spread, he said.
“Lets see if we can’t roll up our sleeves and do the right things for the right reason. We care about each other. We’ve demonstrated that in times past. We need to have that same kind of caring today. There is really no excuse for all of us to not wear face coverings, not wearing a mask to protect against the spreading of the coronavirus.”
In fact, Herbert and State Epidemiologist Angela Dunn already have asked on multiple occasions for Utahn’s to wear masks.
Herbert said Utah is now at a crossroads, with numbers and rates each at double where they were in recent times.
More cases will overwhelm hospitals in Utah, and will lessen the resources and care available to all.
Herbert said the calls for use of masks are coming from the medical community, religious communities and businesses.
If Utahns cannot cooperate and help curb cases, he will have to consider rolling back from yellow to orange phases, or mandating masks.
“Those choices are ahead of us,” he said, adding that if Utahn’s cannot help stop the spread, it may trigger some “more aggressive” action from the government in the future.
