Utah Valley Hospital Changing Security Procedures Because Of Conspiracy Theorists
Nov 12, 2020, 10:53 PM | Updated: Nov 13, 2020, 5:35 am
PROVO, Utah – Officials with Intermountain Healthcare said Utah Valley Hospital is being forced to change its security procedures because of conspiracy theorists who don’t believe Utah’s intensive care units are nearing their functional capacity.
Medical workers said some people have tried their best to get in and film the hospital’s ICU in an effort to try and prove their point.
Many Provo City Council members still can’t believe what they heard earlier this week.
“You mentioned some people are trying to film in the hospital,” asked Provo City Council member George Handley during the council’s virtual meeting this past Tuesday.
Intermountain Utah Valley Hospital administrator Kyle Hansen, who was a part of the meeting, told councilmembers the hospital is changing security procedures after people tried to video what’s happening inside.
“It’s conspiracy theorists that believe what they’re being told is not accurate,” said Hansen.
Hansen said some people have been trying to get into the hospital because they don’t believe COVID-19 is keeping medical workers busy in the numbers that have been reported.
“They’re determined to videotape and capture the proof of that by accessing our facilities,” said Hansen.
Only guests of visitors, or those with doctor appointments, are allowed in at this time.
“We’ve had some people get really creative in how they’ve lied about coming in for an appointment or other things,” Hansen told the council.
“I find that incredibly saddening and discouraging,” said Handley.
Handley felt medical workers deserve better and shouldn’t be distracted by people coming into rooms and the ICU to video the conditions inside.
“We owe a great debt to them, and to treat them as if they were part of some lying conspiracy to deceive the public is just shameful and embarrassing,” said Handley.
In a statement, Intermountain Healthcare said, “Hospital staff have also fielded some telephone calls regarding similar false conspiracy theories. Although these situations are few and isolated, stopping attempts to gain inappropriate access and responding to fake conspiracy theories diverts attention from providing lifesaving care provided at the hospitals.”
Intermountain Healthcare went on to write “COVID-19 is real and the hospital is seeing large increases in patients with the virus.”
