Utah Health Officials, Communities Prepare For Coronavirus
Feb 26, 2020, 8:43 PM | Updated: 8:44 pm
Clinical support technician Douglas Condie extracts viruses from swab samples so that the genetic structure of a virus can be analysed and identified in the coronavirus testing laboratory at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, on February 19, 2020 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Jane Barlow - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jane Barlow - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – No cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in Utah, at this point. The Utah Department of Health has investigated several potential cases, in recent weeks, and ruled them out.
The Centers for Disease Control said Tuesday that all public health systems in the United States need to be prepared for the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.
It has not arrived in the Beehive State yet, but our communities need to be ready.
Utah Preparing For Coronavirus
“We are already well prepared about it,” said Governor Gary Herbert. “We monitor it every day.”
Governor Herbert said Utah has already taken steps to prepare for the anticipated arrival of COVID-19.
“I get a briefing on that once a week,” he said, indicating that the executive director of the Utah Department of Health gives him regular updates on the status of the virus.
The Utah Department of Health has been actively monitoring for the possibility of the arrival of the virus in Utah for a month. According to the department, the state’s disease surveillance system is working as designed.
Public health officials and health care providers were working together and with the CDC to identify and investigate potential cases.
COVID-19 is considered a serious public health concern, but the immediate risk to the general U.S. public is considered low, right now officials said.
“All of us should be concerned,” said Herbert. “I don’t know that we need to be alarmed. I don’t want to get anybody into panic mode, but we’ll keep an eye on it.”
Following the advisory from the CDC for communities to prepare for the likely arrival of coronavirus, the Utah Department of Health will host a press conference Thursday to explain new developments and to talk about how the state’s health systems and hospitals are working together to prepare for the possible spread of the illness in our communities.
The 1:30 p.m. press conference will be streamed on KSL TV’s Facebook page and the KSL TV streaming app.
