CAMP WILLIAMS, Utah, Sept. 8, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — The Utah National Guard has canceled the 66th annual Governor’s Day due to the increasing threat from the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.
Governor’s Day was scheduled for Sept. 11, and included a commemoration of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, said a news release from the national guard.
The event is designed to provide Gov. Spencer J. Cox with an opportunity to review Utah National Guard units, and to honor service members and their families, the news release said.
“After careful consideration of the increasing threat from the COVID-19 Delta variant poses to Utahns, we decided to cancel the event,” said Maj. Gen. Michael J. Turley, the adjutant general, Utah National Guard. “This decision was not made lightly, but was made after collaborating with senior government officials to determine the right course of action.”
In place of the annual Governor’s Day event, Turley directed units to focus on increasing readiness, including medical readiness.
“The Utah National Guard is committed to being part of the solution,” Turley said. “The safety and health of our force and our communities is our top priority. The Utah National Guard is hosting vaccination clinics during drill periods to increase our readiness and to preserve our force.”
This is the second year in a row that the event has been canceled. Last year, Utah National Guard and government leaders made the call to cancel the Governor’s Day event after assessing the windstorm’s extensive damage to critical infrastructure and its impact on fellow Utahns. The windstorm took place Sept. 8.
“The Utah National Guard will release a 9/11 commemoration video on social media to honor veterans, service members, families, and employers who have made sacrifices over the past 20 years,” the news release said.
