Utah Leaders Implore Everyone To Be ‘All In’ To Fight COVID-19

MURRAY, Utah – As Utah continues to see record-high numbers of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, top community leaders have come together to urge everyone to go “all in” against the virus.

Utahns will start to see the new campaign on TV and social media, as community leaders ask the state to double down on its efforts to turn back the coronavirus.

“I’m not here to scare you, and I’m not here to lecture you,” said Dr. Marc Harrison, president and CEO of Intermountain Healthcare, in a teleconference Tuesday. I’m here to implore you to be ‘All In’ with us as we support what the governor has asked us to do.”

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Utah are up 70 percent from a month ago, and Utah’s rolling seven-day average for new cases is nearly three times what it was a month ago.

Community leaders made a call to action to catch our attention.

“I know that we’re all COVID weary,” said Gail Miller, owner and chair of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies. “But it’s more important than ever to be diligent and mindful of all of the things that we can do to stop the spread.”

Miller, the outgoing owner of the Utah Jazz, called on the community to fight this virus as a team, as a new public awareness campaign rolls out, called “We’re all in.”

Miller said she was alarmed in recent weeks with the skyrocketing number of cases of COVID-19.

“I felt compelled to do whatever I could to bring attention to the need for all of us to take control of this pandemic and join together to do everything we can to stop the spread,” she said.

“I’ve had COVID. I have. It’s brutal. It floored me,” said Ryan Smith, incoming owner of the Utah Jazz and co-founder of tech company Qualtrics.

Smith said his illness with the virus, and that of other family members, made him respect the virus.

“We’re trying to get through the other side here,” he said. “We all need to chip in, and I don’t need to be told twice. It has nothing to do with politics. This has to do with… we need to wear a mask and we need to be safe.”

“I am gravely concerned about the trends of this COVID-19 virus in our midst, in Utah and across the nation,” said Keith McMullin, president & CEO of Deseret Management Corporation (DMC), which owns Bonneville International, the parent company of KSL-TV.

McMullin talked about the pioneers who trekked across the plains and into the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. He said they came as individuals and families, but had to work together to help others around them make the journey.

“They had to say collectively, we are going to help one another. We are going to move forward in the spirit of love and respect. When someone stumbles, we’re going to help him or her back up on their feet, and we’re going to move forward and accomplish our aims,” he said.

"Let's bear some inconvenience of wearing a mask. Let's limit the size of our social gatherings, and let's take care of our neighbors, especially those that need it most."

– Keith McMullin, CEO of Deseret Management Corporation#AllinUT
Details: https://t.co/ajUYqLTJDG pic.twitter.com/LrZNLyHfnn

— KSL 5 TV (@KSL5TV) November 20, 2020

Utah has built a reputation of helping neighbors in need, he said.

“I have great faith in this country and I have absolute faith in this state and its people. I know their character. I’m old enough to have seen it manifest on many fronts, and I know that that resolve of making decisions personally for the good of others, and then uniting in a loyal endeavor, can bring about wonders. Utah is known for that,” McMullin said.

Dr. Harrison is also a critical care doctor. Utah’s health care professionals have been hailed as heroes during the pandemic, and he asked each of us to do our part.

“This is an opportunity for each and every one of the people who live in our communities to be a health care hero as well,” he said. “Their actions around masking and social distancing have the opportunity to turn the tide of this pandemic.”

The doctors and nurses in Utah hospitals are overwhelmed, he said, and their resources outstripped.

Thank you to @LHM and our business community for doing your part to stop the surge of COVID-19 cases in Utah! #allinutah https://t.co/P8GuQ7zC4Q

— State of Utah COVID-19 Response (@UtahCoronavirus) November 18, 2020

“The whole rest of the country is facing the same issues we are, and the cavalry is not coming,” Harrison said. “We are the cavalry and we can change the tide of this disease.”

“Unless we up our game, we’re trending in the wrong direction,” said Smith. “End of story.”

Health officials have expressed concerns over the potential spread of COVID among families who gather for Thanksgiving. They’ve asked residents to limit their gatherings to people who live under the same roof, and find ways to connect to others virtually.

“Let’s make the holiday season wonderful for each member of our family by being safe, by being circumspect and by being united as we go forward,” McMullin said.

A statewide mask mandate has been in effect for the last 12 days. The community leaders are asking Utahns to wear masks, social distance and limit gatherings with anyone outside their own household.

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Coronavirus Resources

• Have you or a family member been affected by coronavirus issues in Utah? KSL-TV wants to hear from you. Contact KSL by emailing social@ksl.com.
• The latest coronavirus stories from KSL-TV can be found at our Staying Safe: Coronavirus section.
• Your Life Your Health: How can parents prepare their home, children against coronavirus?

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 is not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.