Rally held in SLC to remove partisan politics from public health policies
Jan 29, 2022, 10:26 PM | Updated: Jun 7, 2022, 3:31 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — Around 100 people gathered Saturday at the steps of the Utah State Capitol in response to recent resolutions state lawmakers have passed around COVID-19.
“Early on, our pandemic response was pretty fantastic,” said Chris Phillips, president of the Concerned Coalition.
The U.S. is approaching one million deaths from COVID, and Phillips thinks Utah should be led by public health officials.
There were some former and current ones at the rally.
“I remember getting the small pox vaccine and polio sugar cubes. Everyone got the vaccines and we were relieved. There’s no small pox, there’s no polio anymore,” said Dr. Marc Babitz, former medical director of Utah’s Department of Health.
A bill that effectively reversed mask mandates in Summit and Salt Lake counties passed the House and Senate last week.
Utah Legislature overturns mask orders in Salt Lake, Summit counties
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says N95s and KN95s are effective in slowing the spread of the disease that caused a record spike in hospitalizations this month in Utah.
People who spent time in the hospital with COVID-19 spoke at the rally.
“We must not ignore the risks of long COVID as we discuss the future of this pandemic,” one long-hauler said.
Phillips hopes lawmakers will work more closely with data and health recommendations.
“I urge them to continue to work with our local health leaders in a way that reflects their values,” he said.
The House Majority Caucus defended its decision, explaining that it has “had significant concerns about mask mandates because of the division they have sown throughout our communities.”
The joint resolution doesn’t need Gov. Spencer Cox’s signature and can’t be vetoed, but Cox called it “a dumb fight to be having.”
