Utah To Move From ‘High’ To ‘Moderate’ Risk, Allow Restricted Dine-In Services
Apr 28, 2020, 1:49 PM | Updated: 10:40 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Gov. Gary Herbert on Tuesday announced Utah will transition from “high risk” to “moderate risk” on Friday.
It’s part of the Utah Leads Together 2.0 plan, which outlines how the state will reopen the economy.
“We would invite you and encourage you and really plead with you to follow the recommendations that we’ve had in the past,” Herbert said. “We all still need to take precautions.”
Herbert said this will not mean returning to business as usual, noting that there are still significant risks – especially to residents with underlying medical conditions or who are older than 65.
The following recommendations will remain in place during the “moderate risk” phase:
- Maintaining a distance of six feet from others
- Wearing a face mask when out in public
- Continue working from home if possible
- Limiting out-of-state travel
- Avoiding large groups
- Limiting shopping
The governor said schools will remain dismissed through the end of the year.
He said Utah’s plan is not being directed by fear or by politics, but by “good science.”
Herbert touted the state’s capacity for testing during the press briefing and he lauded Utah’s health care workers and medical facilities. He said the state’s proactive measures to keep cases low have allowed hospitals to maintain their capacity to treat people.
LIVE: Gov. Herbert, Lt. Gov. Cox and Dr. Angela Dunn are holding Utah's daily COVID-19 update
Posted by KSL 5 TV on Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Under the revised guidelines, the limit on group gatherings will expand from 10 to 20 people while gyms and hair salons will be allowed to reopen if they follow precautions.
Restaurants can offer dine-in options as long as they reconfigure tables and chairs to maintain a six-foot distance, take employees’ and customers’ temperature, and check them for symptoms.
Employees will also be required to wear masks.
In Provo, Black Sheep Cafe owner Kevin Santiago said the pandemic simply left his dining room looking sickly.
“Week one, about 80% of our business was just gone,” he said.
But with the state set to reopen dine-in services on Friday, many questions were on the front burner.
“Are people still willing to come in?” Santiago asked. “Are they still going to want to do pickup? If we have to be six to 10 feet apart, how many tables do we need to take out?”
But when customers return on Friday, Santiago said they’ll be ready.
“We’ve missed our customers and really excited about trying to get back to having people come into the dining room again,” he said.
