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FARMINGTON — Officials from Davis, Weber and Morgan counties met at the Davis County Commission chambers Wednesday morning to announce a "soft opening" of the counties' economies beginning May 1.
The counties' stay-at-home guidelines expire on May 1, and Weber County Commissioner Gage Froerer said they can move to reopen some shuttered businesses because the public has rendered the COVID-19 outbreak "as controlled as possible."
But Brian Hatch, the Davis County health director, said residents must be cautious not to undo the progress the counties have made. "This is not over," he said.
"As we move forward, we are switching out the light switch," Hatch said. "It's not an on/off switch — we're putting a dimmer switch there. And that analogy is what we want everyone to hear: We're going to begin turning up the light."
Froerer said the counties worked closely with the governor's office and state officials to develop their guidelines. "We want to give as much lead time to our businesses as possible," Froerer said. "That's the reason we're holding this press conference today, rather than next week. ... We want to give the opportunity for businesses to get their supply chains opened, for them to work with their employees to get back the necessary workforce they need, and basically prepare for business."
The counties will formulate industry-specific guidelines to give best practices for particular businesses.
Froerer encouraged residents to "continue what they've done," staying home when possible, for the next week until the "soft opening" begins.
"I want to emphasize that this does not start today," said Davis County Commissioner Lorene Miner Kamalu. "This is basically a heads-up for our business community and for our citizens to look forward to a time, very soon, when we will have all the guidelines in place."
She said residents should have confidence to patronize businesses again when they reopen, provided they follow social distancing guidelines and utilize protections like cloth masks and face coverings. Kamalu sported a mask herself during part of her presentation.
"It's going to be pretty important for all of us to not choose to do these things because we're fearful," she said, "but to choose to do these things because we're responsible."
Officials said the counties' reopening will be based on the Utah Leads 2.0 document from the governor's office and will be informed by recommendations from the Legislature's advisory commission.
Asked whether she believed the counties' health orders have been too aggressive, Kamalu said she feels the counties "nailed it."
"We feel like we threaded a very small needle," she said.
The Weber-Morgan Health District has reported 130 total cases of COVID-19; Davis County has reported 249.
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