Park City A ‘Ghost Town’ On First Day Of Stay At Home Order

PARK CITY, Utah – Friday marked day one of Summit County’s stay at home order and a nearly-empty Main Street in Park City showed residents are complying.

“It’s a little eerie,” said Park City resident Meghan Gies, who was walking her dog. “It’s nice when it calms down, but this is a little too calm. Not having any bars or restaurants to go to is a little weird. I’ve never cooked this much.”

Summit County was the first county in Utah to implement such an order to flatten the COVID-19 curve. County health officials reported 102 confirmed cases of the virus on Friday, the second-highest total of any county.

The order is not a complete lockdown or a shelter in place, and officials wanted to remind residents they can leave their homes for essentials like food and gas while maintaining a six-foot social distance.

Park City Police Captain Phil Kirk said they have ramped up patrols, making sure people are complying in areas like the business district and where people tend to exercise.

Kirk said they are in “the educating the public phase” and are not giving out tickets. However, that could change if officers see repeat offenses.

During a Facebook Live broadcast, small business owners throughout Summit County asked questions about emergency grants and loans during “Coffee with Council.”

“We do want to see what money comes from the state and the feds and their local packages and emergency relief funds. After we see how that rolls out, which we think will be in 3 to 4 days, we are willing to have a conversation about taking a more aggressive role in the future,” said Jonathan Weidenhamer, Park City Economic Development director.

Kind of spooky up here in #ParkCity this morning…Not a single car on Main Street except @KSL5TV #mobile5. It’s day 1 of the Summit County #StayAtHomeOrder. I’ll have the details on #KSLTV all A.M. #coronavirus #COVID #SocialDistanacing #FlattenTheCurve pic.twitter.com/ewhSRuc7vm

— Felicia Martinez (@FeliciaKSL) March 27, 2020

Meanwhile, many people who live in Park City were without a job and residents were worried about their bills.

“I don’t know how some of them are going to pay rent,” Gies said.

“I think that’s very sad and hopefully it will pick up again, but we don’t know, we’ve never been in a situation like this before,” said Park City resident Annette Keller during a walk with her husband.

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How Do I Prevent It?

The CDC has some simple recommendations, most of which are the same for preventing other respiratory illnesses or the flu:

• Avoid close contact with people who may be sick
• Avoid touching your face
• Stay home when you are sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

The CDC does not recommend wearing a face mask respirator to protect yourself from coronavirus unless a healthcare professional recommends it.

How To Get Help

If you’re worried you may have COVID-19, you can contact the Utah Coronavirus Information Line at 1-800-456-7707 to speak to trained healthcare professionals. You can also use telehealth services through your healthcare providers.

Additional Resources

If you see evidence of PRICE GOUGING, the Utah Attorney General’s Office wants you to report it. Common items in question include toilet paper, water, hand sanitizer, certain household cleaners, and even cold medicine and baby formula. Authorities are asking anyone who sees price gouging to report it to the Utah Division of Consumer Protection at 801-530-6601 or 800-721-7233. The division can also be reached by email at consumerprotection@utah.gov.