Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Utah Governor Issues Statewide Mask Mandate 'For The Foreseeable Future'
Fox News: Utah Governor Orders Statewide Mask Mandate, Other Coronavirus Restrictions
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, a Republican, declared a new state of emergency and issued a statewide mask mandate on Sunday amid a recent surge in coronavirus cases. The mask mandate was a step the governor had resisted for months, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. It comes after Utah saw a total of 16,111 new cases and 46 deaths from the virus over the past seven days. "Due to the alarming rate of COVID infections within our state, tonight I issued a new state of emergency with several critical changes to our response," Herbert said. "These changes are not shutting down our economy, but are absolutely necessary to save lives and hospital capacity." (Aaro, 11/9)
The Salt Lake Tribune: Utah Governor Orders Statewide Mask Mandate, New Coronavirus Restrictions
Utah’s governor declared a new state of emergency late Sunday after the state’s most devastating week of the pandemic, as COVID-19 infections skyrocketed and deaths hit new highs. ...Unlike other restrictions, the governor intends to extend the mask mandate “for the foreseeable future.” Businesses that fail to comply will face fines. (Gonzalez and Canham, 11/8)
Residents and businesses struggle with the COVID surge —
The Salt Lake Tribune: Utah Officials And Health Experts Disagree On COVID-19 Data — And New Business Restrictions
As Utah’s coronavirus case counts soar and hospitals warn that rationing care is all but inevitable, health experts say that state officials for weeks have rejected their recommendations for more severe restrictions to prevent further spread. “Given the trajectory we’re on, we need — at a minimum — a two-week stay-at-home order to interrupt this transmission,” said Dr. Eddie Stenehjem, an infectious disease physician with Intermountain Healthcare. (Alberty and Rodgers, 11/8)
The Salt Lake Tribune: Utah Should Learn From These Places That Have Beat Back Huge Coronavirus Spikes
Some patients are being treated in hallways of Utah hospitals. Others say when they call for a nurse, there’s not one available to assist for a half hour. And while there are still some empty ICU beds, there are so many nurses who can’t work due to their own infection or exposure to COVID-19, further exacerbating the problems. (Larsen, 11/8)
The Salt Lake Tribune: Salt Lake City Bar Sues County Health Department Over COVID-19 Restrictions
The owners of a Salt Lake City nightclub — which has received two warnings for failing to follow Utah’s COVID-19 guidelines — is suing the health department. Button Up Holdings, the owners of Echo at 134 W. Pierpont say they have been subject to “unsupported” and “unnecessary” requirements and “illegal regulatory enforcement” by the Salt Lake County Department of Health. (Stephenson, 11/8)
