Coronavirus Updates: Salt Lake County issues stay at home order; Community leader Bob Garff dies of COVID-19

By Jen Riess and Graham Dudley, KSL.com | Updated - March 29, 2020 at 11:05 p.m. | Posted - March 29, 2020 at 7:35 a.m.

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SALT LAKE CITY — Here are the latest coronavirus-related updates from Utah and around the world.

If you're on a mobile device and can't see the updates below, click on this link.

Sunday, 10:10pm

Mayor Erin Mendenhall issues sixth emergency proclamation, repealing fifth proclamation

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall issued a sixth proclamation giving additional parking leniency. Sunday's proclamation "reinstates Salt Lake City specific determinations from Proclamation No. 5, as well as further limiting parking enforcement in the City," according to a statement from the city. In addition to allowing no time limits on-street parking, city residents will be able to park at meters for free. The intention of this action is to help downtown residents stay at home and not feel the need to take measures to move their cars. “This proclamation is intended to make it easier for both City residents and the staff of Salt Lake City to stay safe, healthy, and adhere to the county’s order,” Mayor Mendenhall said. “It’s going to take time and diligence to make sure COVID-19 doesn’t do to our city what we are seeing in many cities throughout the world and it’s heartening to have the whole county moving forward together.”

My 6th proclamation includes changes to parking enforcement:

1) no time limits on street parking to otherwise legally parked vehicles
2) free parking & no time limits at meters for City residents
3) Citations issued at meters btwn March 23 & today will be dismissed

— SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall (@slcmayor) March 30, 2020

Sunday, 04:26pm

Community leader Robert H. Garff dies of coronaviurs

Former legislator Robert "Bob" H. Garff died from COVID-19 on Sunday, according to a Facebook post by his daughter Rep. Melissa Garff Ballard, R-Utah. He is remembered for his work in the community and inspiring many, including his five children and 21 grandchildren. "He has lived a long and happy life, full of vigor and love for our state and our families," said Ballard. "I count myself blessed to be serving in the Utah House of Representatives just as my Dad did." Read the full story here.

Sunday, 02:51pm

San Juan County announces 2 more COVID-19 cases

The San Juan Public Health Department and Navajo health departments announced two more cases of COVID-19 in San Juan County Sunday, bringing the county's total up to five cases. The departments said in a series of tweets that the cases are "epidemiologically linked" to existing cases in the county. Four of the county's cases are linked to others in Northern Arizona, the tweets said; a fifth county resident is currently quarantined in Salt Lake County.

San Juan Public Health Department (SJPH), Utah Navajo Health System (UNHS), and Navajo Department of Health announce two more confirmed COVID-19 cases in San Juan County, Utah. Both cases are epidemiologically linked to existing cases in the county.

— San Juan Public Health (@SanJuanHealth) March 29, 2020

Sunday, 02:35pm

Salt Lake County issues its own 'Stay Safe, Stay Home' order

Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson and the Salt Lake County Health Department issued a new public health order Sunday that elaborates on the state's "Stay Safe, Stay Home" order issued Friday. The order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday and will last until Monday, April 13. The order:

"Directs all individuals to stay at home except to engage in essential activities, which includes going to work under the conditions outlined in the order.

"Matches earlier county and state public health orders regarding food service operations.

"Closes certain businesses that act as gathering places or involve close contact between people.

"Closes children’s playgrounds and prohibits team sports, including pickup games, though outdoor sport courts and fields will remain open for individual and for individuals that reside in the same household.

"Requires businesses to actively enforce social distancing practices and exclude ill employees from working.

"Defines essential businesses that should do their best to comply with social distancing recommendations but, due to the nature of their operations, may be unable to fully comply and are therefore exempt from order enforcement. Essential businesses must still exclude ill employees from working."

Read the full story here.

Sunday, 12:37pm

Sunday update: 719 positive tests, Utah Department of Health says

The Utah Department of Health released the latest figures for COVID-19 infections in Utah on Sunday, revealing 719 positive tests. That figure includes 705 Utah residents and 14 visitors to the state; it's a jump of 117 positive tests over Saturday's numbers. At least 13,993 people have been tested for COVID-19 in Utah so far, representing about a 5% rate of positive tests. Read the full story here.

Sunday, 10:49am

115 cases in Navajo Nation

The Navajo Department of Health and Navajo Area Indian Health Service informed Navajo officials this weekend that 115 Navajo Nation residents have tested positive for COVID-19 so far. Two Navajo are reported to have died of the disease, according to a Navajo Nation news release. Of the 115 cases, two are in Utah's San Juan County; the others are on Navajo lands in New Mexico and Arizona.

Sunday, 10:12am

Officials plead for responsible recreation as parks are packed

Just one day after Utah Gov. Gary Herbert issued a statewide coronavirus directive that included limiting visitors of state parks to residents of the counties in which the parks are located, hundreds of visitors converged on Snow Canyon State Park not only from out of county, but out of state as well. Cars filled the parking lots and roadside pullouts bearing Utah license plates as well as several from Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, Washington and New Mexico. And though the directive specifically asks people not to congregate at trailheads, many people were having picnics in the parking lots on the backs of their cars. Read the story here.

Sunday, 10:11am

US Army shifts to virtual recruiting

The U.S. Army announced earlier this week that it will move to virtual recruiting during the COVID-19 pandemic, talking to interested recruits via text, phone calls, direct messages and video chats. “Our recruiters are limiting in-person contact and leveraging telephonic and social media platforms to conduct recruiting operations," said Salt Lake Army Recruiting Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Raphael Vasquez. "This force posture should not be interpreted as a disengagement but rather an active approach our recruiters are taking to ensure the safety of the population we are sworn to defend." The Army is still actively sending future soldiers to basic training at this time; all candidates are screened for symptoms before departing, the Army said.

Sunday, 07:26am

Washington nurses: PPE in short supply

Nurses in Washington state, the original epicenter of COVID-19 in America, told ProPublica about daunting shortages of personal protective equipment that has potentially put them at risk. They're warning other parts of the country to make a plan. “It’s a health care war zone,” said a critical care nurse. "Never in a million years did we think when we were in nursing school that our employer would not provide us with the PPE they are legally obligated to provide us with, to care for those patients." Read the full story here.

Sunday, 07:22am

Krispy Kreme giving free dozen doughnuts to health care workers

Starting Monday, March 30, health care workers who show their employer badge at the drive-thru will receive a free dozen glazed doughnuts at Krispy Kreme. The deal will be offered every Monday through May 11, the company announced this week. Additionally, all customers regardless of profession can receive a free dozen original glazed doughnuts with the purchase of any other dozen. Read the full story here.

Sunday, 07:18am

Experts urge caution for backcountry skiers at closed resorts

Although the traffic that plagued Big and Little Cottonwood canyons earlier this winter is all but gone, skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers are still flocking to the backcountry. And with the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 now over 600, Utah’s avalanche experts are warning backcountry travelers not to take unnecessary risks — not only could an accident in the backcountry divert potentially lifesaving hospital resources, but search and rescue crews have been hit hard by the mass exodus of seasonal ski-industry employees. “On average we would have anywhere from 20 to 30 individuals at each ski resort that can respond to Wasatch backcountry rescues,” said Unified Police Sgt. James Blanton. “And now you’re looking at maybe two to five people from each resort if you’re the lucky.” Read the full story here.

Saturday, 10:36pm

ICYMI: Catch up on coronavirus developments from yesterday

Salt Lake County Mayor Wilson will announce a public health order Sunday to clarify what the county plans to do "to slow the spread of COVID-19."

Trump: No quarantine, but travel advisory for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut

Updated health department numbers show 602 COVID-19 cases in Utah

Read all of yesterday's coronavirus news here

Coronavirus Updates: Salt Lake County issues stay at home order; Community leader Bob Garff dies of COVID-19

By Jen Riess and Graham Dudley, KSL.com | Updated - March 29, 2020 at 11:05 p.m. | Posted - March 29, 2020 at 7:35 a.m.

(Carter Williams, KSL.com)

Mayor Erin Mendenhall issues sixth emergency proclamation, repealing fifth proclamation

Community leader Robert H. Garff dies of coronaviurs

San Juan County announces 2 more COVID-19 cases

Salt Lake County issues its own 'Stay Safe, Stay Home' order

Sunday update: 719 positive tests, Utah Department of Health says

115 cases in Navajo Nation

Officials plead for responsible recreation as parks are packed

US Army shifts to virtual recruiting

Washington nurses: PPE in short supply

Krispy Kreme giving free dozen doughnuts to health care workers

Experts urge caution for backcountry skiers at closed resorts

ICYMI: Catch up on coronavirus developments from yesterday

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Coronavirus Updates: Salt Lake County issues stay at home order; Community leader Bob Garff dies of COVID-19

By Jen Riess and Graham Dudley, KSL.com | Updated - March 29, 2020 at 11:05 p.m. | Posted - March 29, 2020 at 7:35 a.m.

(Carter Williams, KSL.com)

Trump extends federal social distancing guidelines to April 30

Mayor Erin Mendenhall issues sixth emergency proclamation, repealing fifth proclamation

Community leader Robert H. Garff dies of coronaviurs

San Juan County announces 2 more COVID-19 cases

Salt Lake County issues its own 'Stay Safe, Stay Home' order

Sunday update: 719 positive tests, Utah Department of Health says

115 cases in Navajo Nation

Officials plead for responsible recreation as parks are packed

US Army shifts to virtual recruiting

Washington nurses: PPE in short supply

Krispy Kreme giving free dozen doughnuts to health care workers

Experts urge caution for backcountry skiers at closed resorts

ICYMI: Catch up on coronavirus developments from yesterday

Most recent U.S. stories

Allergies can make you miserable. Here's how to track pollen levels near you

Arizona House advances a repeal of the state's near-total abortion ban to the Senate

US House Democrat Donald Payne Jr. dead at 65

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More stories you may be interested in

Arizona House advances a repeal of the state's near-total abortion ban to the Senate

Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote

Sen. John Fetterman, another Harvard grad, endorses Romney to be next university president

Most Viewed

STAY IN THE KNOW

KSL Weather Forecast