Coronavirus updates: 4 deaths reported in Utah Saturday

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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.

Saturday, 10:25pm

NBA says it is talking with Disney about resuming season

The NBA is in talks with The Walt Disney Company on a single-site scenario for a resumption of play in Central Florida in late July, the clearest sign yet that the league believes the season can continue amid the coronavirus pandemic. The National Basketball Players Association is also part of the talks with Disney. Games would be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, a massive campus on the Disney property near Orlando. NBA spokesman Mike Bass said the conversations were still “exploratory,” and that the site would be used not only for games but for practices and housing as well. — Associated Press

Saturday, 10:20pm

'Farmers feeding Utah' brings food to Navajo Nation

Traffic isn’t something you normally see in Blanding. Then again, Al Tohtsonie still can’t believe what he’s been seeing the past couple of months. “It’s pretty tough,” he said while sitting in the driver’s seat of his pickup truck with his wife next to him. Tohtsonie lives in the Four Corners region of the Navajo Nation. Friday morning, he and dozens of other Navajo Nation residents, drove to Blanding and waited in line in their vehicles for food. — Alex Cabrero, KSL TV

Saturday, 10:19pm

Holiday amid pandemic: Americans divided on how to respond

President Donald Trump played golf at one of his courses Saturday during the Memorial Day weekend as he urged U.S. states to reopen after coronavirus-related lockdowns. Yet many Americans remained cautious as the number of confirmed cases nationwide passed 1.6 million. In California, where many businesses and recreational activities are reopening, officials in Los Angeles County said they would maintain tight restrictions until July 4. Some religious leaders took issue with Trump’s declaration that houses of worship are “essential” and should resume in-person services this weekend. — Associated Press

Saturday, 10:07pm

Utah’s no-bid COVID-19 buys spur some lawmakers to seek checks on spending power

Frustrated by certain multimillion-dollar, no-bid purchases and contracts that state officials have executed as part of their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a pair of lawmakers are drafting legislation to bring more transparency and checks to the state’s emergency procurement powers. Rep. Andrew Stoddard, D-Sandy, and Rep. Suzanne Harrison, D-Draper, are preparing their own bills meant to bring more accountability and constraints to the state’s emergency purchasing powers, which allowed state officials to spend over $108 million on COVID-19 buys and contracts in less than three months, untethered by usual competitive bidding requirements. — Katie McKellar, KSL

Saturday, 10:02pm

Big study casts more doubt on malaria drugs for coronavirus

Malaria drugs pushed by President Donald Trump as treatments for the coronavirus did not help and were tied to a greater risk of death and heart rhythm problems in a new study of nearly 100,000 patients around the world. Friday’s report in the journal Lancet is not a rigorous test of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine, but it is by far the largest look at their use in real world settings, spanning 671 hospitals on six continents. “Not only is there no benefit, but we saw a very consistent signal of harm,” said one study leader, Dr. Mandeep Mehra, a heart specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. — Associated Press

Saturday, 10:00pm

Lagoon opens for the season with new rules due to COVID-19 concerns

Lagoon normally opens toward the end of March, but with COVID-19 concerns, park officials instituted new rules to protect workers and families. One of the biggest changes is visitors have to go online and reserve their space ahead of time since Lagoon is limiting the number of people that can visit the park each day. The families that visited on Saturday said it almost felt like normal again. — Alex Cabrero, KSL TV

Saturday, 01:09pm

Saturday brings 203 new COVID-19 cases and 4 deaths

The Utah Department of Health announced 203 new cases of COVID-19 statewide on Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 8,260 since the pandemic began, and four deaths from the disease. That total is up from 8,057 cases on Friday; more than half of Utah's cases, 4,898 of them, are considered recovered, and 3,265 are considered active. Ninety-seven Utahns have now died of COVID-19. — Graham Dudley, KSL.com

Saturday, 11:07am

Poll: Many in US won't return to theaters, gyms, or dining out soon

Much of the country remains unlikely to venture out to bars, restaurants, theaters or gyms anytime soon, despite state and local officials across the country increasingly allowing businesses to reopen, according to a new survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That hesitancy in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak could muffle any recovery from what has been the sharpest and swiftest economic downturn in U.S. history. Just 42% of those who went to concerts, movies, theaters or sporting events at least monthly before the outbreak say they’d do so in the next few weeks if they could. Only about half of those who regularly went to restaurants, exercised at the gym or traveled would feel comfortable doing so again. — Josh Boak and Emily Swanson, Associated Press

Saturday, 10:37am

Farmers Feeding Utah delivers meat, flour to Navajo Nation

Farmers Feeding Utah Delivers 18,000 pounds of lamb meat, 10,000 pounds of flour to assist Navajo Nation https://t.co/AJBE07W5iK pic.twitter.com/EDWAIEQXdk

— Utah.gov (@UtahGov) May 23, 2020

Saturday, 09:05am

Face masks distributed at recreation hot spots in time for Memorial Day

The Utah Office of Tourism is urging Memorial Day celebrants to show good stewardship when it comes to public lands, public health and community safety. With that in mind, the office is teaming up in a collaborative effort in the distribution of a half-million face masks to communities near recreation hot spots, the national park system and Utah state parks. “We should always be in the habit of having our face mask with us,” said Vicki Varela, managing director of the Office of Tourism. “There are still times in the outdoors when we need to put on our face masks, when we need to be prepared and show respect for other people.” — Amy Joi O'Donoghue, KSL

Saturday, 07:08am

ICYMI: Catch up on coronavirus developments from yesterday

Utah’s number of COVID-19 cases increased by 183 on Friday, with one new reported death.

The state Department of Workforce Services reported Friday that April’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate soared to an estimated 9.7%, indicating that approximately 155,800 Utahns were left jobless during the month as a result of the mandated shutdown of hundreds of local businesses.

Davis County health officials cited an Arkansas church's COVID-19 outbreak as they and Utah health authorities urged caution for people who may be returning to worship services soon.

Lagoon amusement park opens at 10 a.m. Saturday using a reservation system for visitors, the company said in a Facebook post. Reservations are now available online up to one week in advance of the day people plan to visit.

Gov. Gary Herbert on Friday afternoon issued an executive order approving the requests from Bluff and Mexican Hat to stay at the orange, moderate-risk level.

Read all of yesterday's coronavirus coverage here.

Coronavirus updates: 4 deaths reported in Utah Saturday

By KSL Staff | Updated - May 23, 2020 at 10:25 p.m. | Posted - May 23, 2020 at 7:08 a.m.

(Scott G Winterton, KSL, File)

NBA says it is talking with Disney about resuming season

'Farmers feeding Utah' brings food to Navajo Nation

Holiday amid pandemic: Americans divided on how to respond

Utah’s no-bid COVID-19 buys spur some lawmakers to seek checks on spending power

Big study casts more doubt on malaria drugs for coronavirus

Lagoon opens for the season with new rules due to COVID-19 concerns

Saturday brings 203 new COVID-19 cases and 4 deaths

Poll: Many in US won't return to theaters, gyms, or dining out soon

Farmers Feeding Utah delivers meat, flour to Navajo Nation

Face masks distributed at recreation hot spots in time for Memorial Day

ICYMI: Catch up on coronavirus developments from yesterday

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Coronavirus updates: 4 deaths reported in Utah Saturday

By KSL Staff | Updated - May 23, 2020 at 10:25 p.m. | Posted - May 23, 2020 at 7:08 a.m.

(Scott G Winterton, KSL, File)

NBA says it is talking with Disney about resuming season

'Farmers feeding Utah' brings food to Navajo Nation

Holiday amid pandemic: Americans divided on how to respond

Utah’s no-bid COVID-19 buys spur some lawmakers to seek checks on spending power

Big study casts more doubt on malaria drugs for coronavirus

Lagoon opens for the season with new rules due to COVID-19 concerns

Saturday brings 203 new COVID-19 cases and 4 deaths

Poll: Many in US won't return to theaters, gyms, or dining out soon

Farmers Feeding Utah delivers meat, flour to Navajo Nation

Face masks distributed at recreation hot spots in time for Memorial Day

ICYMI: Catch up on coronavirus developments from yesterday

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KSL.com coronavirus coverage

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