Governor Establishing New COVID-19 State Of Emergency Effective At Midnight
Aug 20, 2020, 11:28 AM | Updated: 6:17 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Gov. Gary Herbert on Thursday announced he has established a new COVID-19 state of emergency that will go into effect as soon as the state’s current state of emergency expires – at midnight Friday.
Herbert said pandemics and epidemics are not short-lived, and though case counts are declining, COVID-19 is continuing to spread.
He said the state needs to protect hospital systems and maintain a stockpile of PPE in case of future surges of the virus.
The extension will allow the state to access FEMA grants. Without it, he said, Utah could lose out on more than $95 million and hospitals could miss out on $19 million.
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“A state of emergency is a legal status for the operations of a state government that allows us the flexibility we need to respond to an emergency situation,” Herbert said.
Without an extension of the state of emergency, the state could also lose out on $445 million in federal aid as part of the Lost Wages Assistance Program, which was part of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump. Loans through the Small Business Administration could also be affected.
“If we were to let the state of emergency expire, Utah would be the only state without one,” the governor said. “It’s prudent to maintain our ability to be flexible.”
