Coronavirus updates: S.L. County mayor asks to mandate masks; Utah scaling back COVID-19 Task Force

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SALT LAKE CITY — Here are the latest updates on COVID-19 from Utah and around the world.

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

Tuesday, 07:05am

Utah scaling back COVID-19 Community Task Force meetings amid surge in cases

SALT LAKE CITY — As COVID-19 cases surge in Utah, the governor’s office appears to be winding down a group created to help guide the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. “The day-to-day decisions of the state’s response to the pandemic are now, and have been for a number of months, under the direction of the Unified Command. The task force is not a policymaking body for the state, but an advising one,” according to a statement from the governor’s office Tuesday. — Dennis Romboy, KSL

Tuesday, 10:59pm

It's 'common sense': Health care providers push #MaskUpUtah message amid concerns over hospital bed space

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s COVID-19 case totals have doubled in less than a month. State health officials fear if the number of cases continues to grow at this rapid rate, patients are going to jam up intensive care units in some Utah hospitals as early as next month. That’s why leaders of Utah’s four largest health care systems and the Utah Hospital Association launched a new #MaskUpUtah public awareness initiative Tuesday aimed at normalizing mask wearing in an effort to get Utahns to wear masks. They hope more regular mask use will slow down the spread of COVID-19 and avoid a potential hospital crisis. — Carter Williams, KSL.com

Tuesday, 10:15pm

State leaders offer replacements after Utah woman receives masks with ‘charged political messaging’

Christine Passey-Spencer was shocked by what she found in a package she received from Utah’s "Mask For Every Utahn" program: a pair of cloth masks that featured an American flag, a handgun and a "Don’t Tread on Me" logo from the 18th-century Gadsden flag that has become associated with far-right movements in recent years. "My first thought was, did the state know they were sending these? Was this approved by them?" State officials say it wasn't. — Carter Williams, KSL.com

Tuesday, 09:47pm

Baseball's back: MLB sets 60-game sked, opens July 23 or 24

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball issued a 60-game schedule Tuesday night that will start July 23 or 24 in empty ballparks as the sport tries to push ahead amid the coronavirus following months of acrimony. Each team will play 10 games against each of its four division rivals and four games vs. each of the five clubs in the corresponding division in the other league, according to details obtained by The Associated Press. A team is scheduled to make only one trip to each city it visits in MLB's shortest season since 1878. — Associated Press

Tuesday, 09:44pm

Mayor seeks permission to require face masks in Salt Lake County

SALT LAKE CITY — Amid a spike in Utah COVID-19 cases, the mayor of the state’s most populous county has asked the governor for permission to enact a countywide face covering requirement. “It’s time we do more,” Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson told the Salt Lake County Council on Tuesday, expressing deep concern about Utah’s “dramatic” spike in cases in recent days. — Katie McKellar, KSL

Tuesday, 04:30pm

Solitude Mountain Resort staying closed for the summer due to COVID-19

Solitude Mountain Resort announced on Twitter it will not be opening up for the summer because of COVID-19. This will include:

The Inn at Solitude

Solitude Mountain Spa

Restaurants

Rentals

Retail

Lift-served hiking and biking

Disc golf

pic.twitter.com/taT9EQZjIr

— Solitude Mountain Resort (@SolitudeMTN) June 23, 2020

Tuesday, 03:09pm

Utah Coronavirus Task Force reminds people how to wear their mask correctly

Tuesday, 03:09pm

Utah sees 394 new COVID-19 cases, 5 new deaths as mayors urge governor to mandate masks

Utah’s number of COVID-19 cases has increased by 394 from Monday, with five new reported deaths, according to the Utah Department of Health. Tuesday's totals give Utah 18,300 total confirmed cases, with 1,226 total hospitalizations and 163 total deaths from the disease. Previously, there were 17,906 total cases in the state. The new numbers indicate a 2.2% increase in positive cases since Monday. Of the 302,276 tests conducted in Utah so far, 6.1% were positive for COVID-19. There were 2,964 tests conducted between Monday and Tuesday. — Jacob Klopfenstein, KSL.com

Tuesday, 03:09pm

How a former Utah governor would prepare the country for the next pandemic

More money for public health would be a top priority if a former Utah governor were in charge of preparing the nation for the next pandemic. Mike Leavitt told a Senate committee Tuesday that agencies that protect and improve healthy lifestyles have been “malnourished” for 40 years. Rejuvenating the public health infrastructure is not only important in a time of pandemic, but in the health system that is working toward value. Social determinants of health will play an important role and will have “ongoing benefit both in and out of a pandemic,” he told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Leavitt was among four panelists addressing the topic, “COVID-19: Lessons Learned to Prepare for the Next Pandemic.” Read the full story here. — Dennis Romboy, KSL

Tuesday, 03:09pm

Domestic abuse calls spiking during COVID-19 pandemic, Utah nonprofit says

A nonprofit organization that helps domestic abuse victims is seeing some of their highest numbers ever for help. COVID-19 is playing a major role in the increased demand and how the Citizens Against Physical and Sexual Abuse (CAPSA) serves clients. Getting people help and refuge from domestic abuse is already a tough order for CAPSA. “We’ve just seen phenomenal growth increases in the number of people requesting help,” said CAPSA executive director Jill Anderson. Anderson said the number of people asking for help in Cache and Rich counties was higher than it has ever been. Read the full story here. — Mike Anderson, KSL TV

Tuesday, 03:09pm

Trump credits new border wall with stopping migrants, virus

President Donald Trump visited the U.S.-Mexico border today to celebrate construction of more than 200 miles of wall, hoping it will remind voters of progress he’s made toward one his 2016 campaign promises. Trump credited the wall with stopping not just illegal immigration but also the coronavirus, saying “It stopped COVID, it stopped everything.” — Associated Press

Tuesday, 01:20pm

Salt Lake County cancels free testing events until after July 4th

June 23 UPDATE: Due to the overwhelming public response to our testing events targeting geographic areas and populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19, Salt Lake County Health Department must cancel the rest of the scheduled events—including this afternoon’s—in order to

— Salt Lake Health (@SaltLakeHealth) June 23, 2020

Tuesday, 11:17am

Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County mayors urge governor to make masks mandatory

Masks are estimated to be 75% to 82% effective at preventing the spread of COVID. Requiring they be worn in public statewide could help us turn the tide and save lives, @GovHerbert https://t.co/EV3DA9UR31

— SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall (@slcmayor) June 23, 2020

Governor, required face coverings in public will go a long way. Let’s do that. https://t.co/xiLYRzww85

— Jenny Wilson (@JennyWilsonUT) June 23, 2020

Tuesday, 10:24am

BYU engineers develop COVID-ready ventilator

As Utah sees a surge in people hospitalized with COVID-19, there is a new ventilator ready to hit the market, thanks to some engineers from Brigham Young University. It will help those suffering from the respiratory virus and also save hospitals money. The BYU alums and students invented a low-cost ventilator, and they just received emergency approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to head to manufacturing. — Dan Rascon, KSL TV

Tuesday, 10:24am

Fauci says 'it will be when not if' for a COVID-19 vaccine

The government’s top infectious disease expert told a House committee on Tuesday he believes “it will be when and not if” there will be a COVID-19 vaccine and that he remains “cautiously optimistic” that some will be ready at the end of the year. Dr. Anthony Fauci has returned to Capitol Hill at a fraught moment in the nation’s pandemic response, with coronavirus cases rising in about half the states and political polarization competing for attention with public health recommendations. — Associated Press

Tuesday, 08:32am

BYU plans in-person return to campus for fall semester

Brigham Young University is planning an in-person fall 2020 semester with a hybrid of in-person and remote classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the university announced Tuesday. Students and campus employees will be required to wear face masks while in classrooms or in other campus buildings. Face masks are also required for employees interacting with any campus guests, the university said. After Thanksgiving break, all classes and exams will be held remotely, BYU added. Students who go home for Thanksgiving break will be encouraged to stay home through the rest of the year to reduce the spread of COVID-19. "The safety and protection of the BYU community is our first priority," the university said on Twitter. More details and updates on the decision are forthcoming. For more information, visit byu.edu/coronavirus.

Fall Decision Announcement:

We are planning for an in-person fall semester starting Aug 31, 2020, with a hybrid of in-person and remote classes. This decision is subject to change depending on trends in disease prevalence and guidance from state and local government.
— BYU (@BYU) June 23, 2020

— Jacob Klopfenstein, KSL.com

Tuesday, 08:22am

US taxpayers are funding 6 COVID-19 vaccines. Here's how they work

It's an unprecedented effort: The U.S. government is investing more than $3 billion to come up with a vaccine against the coronavirus. That's a lot of money. But a vaccine is our surest pathway out of the pandemic — the surest way to go back to normal. Here's an explanation of where this money is going. — CNN

Tuesday, 07:05am

Fauci to testify at a fraught time for US pandemic response

With coronavirus cases rising in about half the states and political polarization competing for attention with public health recommendations, Dr. Anthony Fauci returns to Capitol Hill on Tuesday at a fraught moment in the nation's pandemic response. The government's top infectious disease expert will testify before a House committee, along with the heads of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and a top official at the Department of Health and Human Services. — Associated Press

Tuesday, 07:05am

ICYMI: Catch up on coronavirus developments from yesterday

After Utah again broke its highest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases on Friday — then again on Saturday — state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn warned in a memo made public Monday that another shutdown might be necessary to control the outbreak.

Utah’s number of COVID-19 cases increased by 444 on Monday, with no new reported deaths.

Existing home sales in the U.S. plunged 9.7% in May. It was the third straight monthly decline and further evidence of the harm the virus pandemic has done to the housing market.

The Salt Lake County Health Department announced it will continue its free COVID-19 testing through June 28, even for Utahns who aren’t experiencing symptoms.

Read all of yesterday’s coronavirus news here

Coronavirus updates: S.L. County mayor asks to mandate masks; Utah scaling back COVID-19 Task Force

By KSL Staff | Updated - June 23, 2020 at 10:59 p.m. | Posted - June 23, 2020 at 7:05 a.m.

(Jeffrey D. Allred, KSL, File)

Utah scaling back COVID-19 Community Task Force meetings amid surge in cases

It's 'common sense': Health care providers push #MaskUpUtah message amid concerns over hospital bed space

State leaders offer replacements after Utah woman receives masks with ‘charged political messaging’

Baseball's back: MLB sets 60-game sked, opens July 23 or 24

Mayor seeks permission to require face masks in Salt Lake County

Solitude Mountain Resort staying closed for the summer due to COVID-19

Utah Coronavirus Task Force reminds people how to wear their mask correctly

Utah sees 394 new COVID-19 cases, 5 new deaths as mayors urge governor to mandate masks

How a former Utah governor would prepare the country for the next pandemic

Domestic abuse calls spiking during COVID-19 pandemic, Utah nonprofit says

Trump credits new border wall with stopping migrants, virus

Salt Lake County cancels free testing events until after July 4th

Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County mayors urge governor to make masks mandatory

BYU engineers develop COVID-ready ventilator

Fauci says 'it will be when not if' for a COVID-19 vaccine

BYU plans in-person return to campus for fall semester

US taxpayers are funding 6 COVID-19 vaccines. Here's how they work

Fauci to testify at a fraught time for US pandemic response

ICYMI: Catch up on coronavirus developments from yesterday

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Coronavirus updates: S.L. County mayor asks to mandate masks; Utah scaling back COVID-19 Task Force

By KSL Staff | Updated - June 23, 2020 at 10:59 p.m. | Posted - June 23, 2020 at 7:05 a.m.

(Jeffrey D. Allred, KSL, File)

Utah scaling back COVID-19 Community Task Force meetings amid surge in cases

It's 'common sense': Health care providers push #MaskUpUtah message amid concerns over hospital bed space

State leaders offer replacements after Utah woman receives masks with ‘charged political messaging’

Baseball's back: MLB sets 60-game sked, opens July 23 or 24

Mayor seeks permission to require face masks in Salt Lake County

Solitude Mountain Resort staying closed for the summer due to COVID-19

Utah Coronavirus Task Force reminds people how to wear their mask correctly

Utah sees 394 new COVID-19 cases, 5 new deaths as mayors urge governor to mandate masks

How a former Utah governor would prepare the country for the next pandemic

Domestic abuse calls spiking during COVID-19 pandemic, Utah nonprofit says

Trump credits new border wall with stopping migrants, virus

Salt Lake County cancels free testing events until after July 4th

Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County mayors urge governor to make masks mandatory

BYU engineers develop COVID-ready ventilator

Fauci says 'it will be when not if' for a COVID-19 vaccine

BYU plans in-person return to campus for fall semester

US taxpayers are funding 6 COVID-19 vaccines. Here's how they work

Fauci to testify at a fraught time for US pandemic response

ICYMI: Catch up on coronavirus developments from yesterday

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KSL.com coronavirus coverage

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