MAGNA, Utah, May 16, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah’s Coronavirus website has been updated to leave Magna as an “orange” city, meaning it will remain under medium-risk guidelines while some other cities and counties transition to the yellow, low-risk status.
Other Salt Lake County cities to remain under the orange classification until COVID-19 data improves are West Valley City and Salt Lake City. All other cities in the county transitioned to yellow at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
Other Utah areas that remain categorized as orange are Summit County, Wasatch County and Grand County.
Cities and counties will be re-evaluated each Friday for possible color code changes, to be driven by data.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said when announcing the change at a news conference on Thursday that he hopes areas categorized as orange will soon be able to move to yellow status. He also acknowledged if cases increase in any area, the area could be reclassified as orange or even red (high risk).
Answering a reporter’s question at the news conference, Herbert said the state is prepared for a surge in cases as the state “reopens,” but officials are hopeful that will not happen.
“We would hope people would use caution and common sense, and be careful in their actions,” he said. “This is not an on-off switch, as I’ve said before, this is really kind of moving the dial incrementally as we in fact open up the economy. So it’s a slow opening of the valve, and I think people ought to address it in that same kind of context.
“Yes, we are prepared, and one of the things we’ve worked very hard at, very diligently, is that we do have healthcare opportunities, and if we do have a surge, our healthcare system will not be overwhelmed.”
Herbert said officials have learned from “sad experience” elsewhere that reopening too soon is a major cause of fatalities and disease spread.
“We have significant head room with our hospitals and our healthcare systems, significant ICU beds and just a minimal amount, probable around 10 percent utilization, of our ICU beds for the coronavirus. So we’re prepared. We would hope if we handle this right, we would not have a surge… but if it happens, we’re prepared.”
Those at most risk, including people 60 or older, those with diabetes, heart disease or liver problems, and the obese, remain at highest risk of hospitalization and even death should they become infected with COVID-19.
The following business and personal guidelines apply for each color-coded level:
Orange (moderate risk)
• General public and employers take extreme precautions
• Face coverings worn in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain
Follow strict hygiene standards, including:
• Do not shake hands
• In-person interactions in decreased group sizes that enable all social distancing guidelines to be maintained; social interactions in groups of 20 or fewer
• Increase virtual interactions
• Leave home infrequently, stay 6 feet away from others when outside the home
• Regularly disinfect high-touch areas (e.g. door handles, buttons/switches, countertops,
handrails, shopping carts, check-out counters, restroom surfaces)
• Give sick family members their own room if possible and keep the door closed
• Have only one family member care for the sick individual
• Schools closed
• Employees and volunteers of businesses operate remotely, unless not possible
• • •
Yellow (low risk)
• General public and employers take reasonable precautions
• Face coverings worn in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to
maintain
Follow strict hygiene standards, including:
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Use hand sanitizer frequently
• Avoid touching your face
• Cover coughs or sneezes (e.g. into a tissue, sleeve, or elbow; not hands)
• Regularly clean high-touch surfaces (e.g. door handles, counters, light switches,
remote controls, restroom surfaces)
• Follow any other standards promulgated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Utah Department of Health, and local health department
• Do not shake hands
• In-person interactions in decreased group sizes that enable all social distancing guidelines to be maintained; social interactions in groups of 50 or fewer
• Maintain social distancing when in public settings
• Give sick family members their own room if possible and keep the door closed
• Have only one family member care for the sick individual
• All businesses operating
• Employers exercise discretion with remote work and returning to onsite work
• • •
Green (new normal)
• General public and employers take reasonable precautions
• All businesses operating
• Schools are open
• Traveling restrictions mostly lifted, self-monitor symptoms 14 days upon return; avoid areas of high transmission
• Regularly disinfect high-touch areas (e.g. door handles, buttons/switches, handrails, shopping carts, check-out counters, restroom surfaces)
• • •
All of Utah was transitioned out of the red (high risk) level by Herbert on May 1. Guidelines for that level guidelines are listed below.
Red (high risk)
• General public and employers take extreme precautions
• Face coverings worn in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain
Follow strict hygiene standards, including:
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Use hand sanitizer frequently
• Avoid touching your face
• Cover coughs or sneezes (e.g. into a tissue, sleeve, or elbow; not hands)
• Regularly clean high-touch surfaces (e.g. door handles, counters, light switches,
remote controls, restroom surfaces)
• Follow any other standards promulgated by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), the Utah Department of Health, and local health department
• Do not shake hands
• In-person interactions limited to individual households; interactions in groups of 10 or
fewer
• Increase virtual interactions
• Leave home infrequently; stay 6 feet away from others when outside the home
• Give sick family members their own room if possible and keep the door closed
• Have only one family member care for the sick individual
• Schools closed
• Employees and volunteers of businesses operate
remotely, unless not possible
Open Utah all over ya scared pansies