Coronavirus updates: Utah delegation responds to Trump executive orders

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

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Monday, 09:37 pm

Romney says Trump coronavirus relief orders 'tenuous' but likely legal; Curtis calls them 'irresponsible'

One Utah Republican congressman called President Donald Trump’s executive orders on coronavirus relief “irresponsible,” while a GOP senator who doesn’t shy away from criticizing the president says he might have the authority to do what he did.Rep. John Curtis and Sen. Mitt Romney had contrasting views on what some have described as Trump’s end run around Congress to defer payroll taxes and extend expired unemployment benefits. The measures also address an eviction ban and provide relief for student loans.Read the full story here.— Dennis Romboy, KSL

Monday, 08:47 pm

Which mask? Neck fleeces, bandanas least effective at stopping COVID-19 droplets, study finds

A group of researchers at Duke University created a simple technique to analyze the effectiveness of various types of masks which have become a critical component in stopping the spread of the virus.Researchers tested 14 commonly available masks including a professionally fitted N95 mask, usually reserved for health care workers. First the test was performed with a speaker talking without wearing a mask. Then they did it again while a speaker was wearing a mask. Each mask was tested 10 times.The most effective mask was the fitted N95. Three-layer surgical masks and cotton masks, which many people have been making at home, also performed well.Neck fleeces, also called gaiter masks and often used by runners, were the least effective. In fact, wearing a fleece mask resulted in a higher number of respiratory droplets because the material seemed to break down larger droplets into smaller particles that are more easily carried away with air.— CNN

Monday, 08:13 pm

Impasse over coronavirus relief 'inexcusable,' Rep. Ben McAdams says

Utah’s only Democrat in Congress, Rep. Ben McAdams, said Monday it’s “inexcusable” that both parties can’t come together on a new COVID-19 relief package and warned the bickering in Washington is putting the nation’s economy at risk.McAdams also declined to criticize President Donald Trump’s recently signed executive orders that include restoring some additional unemployment benefits, deferring payroll taxes and suspending student loan repayments as well as calling for extending eviction protections.“I’m incredibly frustrated with the inability of Congress — Democrats and Republicans — to find common ground while American people are suffering,” McAdams said.— Lisa Riley Roche, KSL

Monday, 06:31 pm

Mountain West Conference says it will punt football, fall sports seasons to spring

The Mountain West is following the Mid-American Conference in punting fall sports to the spring.The conference based in the Intermountain West, which includes Utah State, has voted to postpone the 2020 football season. The conference confirmed the decision as first reported by Stadium. The Athletic, ESPN and other outlets also reported the news Monday afternoon.The decision comes just over 48 hours after the MAC became the first Football Bowl Subdivision conference to postpone the fall season. Both leagues will hope to restart the season in the spring, assuming the current infection rate of COVID-19 decreases.— Sean Walker, KSL.com

Monday, 06:31 pm

In virus talks, Pelosi holds firm; Mnuchin wants a deal

Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not about to blink.The Democratic leader has been here before, negotiating a deal with the White House to save the U.S. economy, and lessons from the Great Recession are now punctuating the coronavirus talks. With Republicans again balking at big government bailouts, Democratic leaders believe they have the leverage, forcing President Donald Trump into a politically risky standoff over help for millions of Americans.“It’s impossible to know whether she has overplayed her hand until we see if there is a COVID package,” says Michael Steel, a former top aide to then-Speaker John Boehner.Monday brought no new talks between Trump's team and negotiators on Capitol Hill as the president tries a go-it-alone strategy. Over the weekend, he launched a series of executive actions that give the appearance of a White House taking charge but may end up providing little help for ordinary Americans.Read the full story here.— Associated Press

Monday, 06:31 pm

US employers post more jobs in June, pull back on hiring

U.S. employers advertised more jobs in June compared with the previous month, but overall hiring fell, painting a mixed picture of the job market.The number of jobs posted on the last day in June jumped 9.6% to 5.9 million, the Labor Department said Monday, a solid gain but still below the pre-pandemic level of about 7 million. And employers hired 6.7 million people in June, down from 7.2 million in May, a record high.The figures suggest that restaurants, bars, retail shops, and entertainment venues — businesses that were subject to shutdown orders in April — continued to bring back workers at a healthy pace. Job openings in those industries also rose.— Associated Press

Monday, 06:31 pm

No federal relief leaves states, cities facing big deficits

On Monday, governors, lawmakers, mayors, teachers and others said they were going to keep pushing members of Congress to revive talks on another rescue package.“Congress and the White House made a commitment to the governors that there would be a second round of relief for states — we are going to hold their feet to the fire until they uphold that commitment,” New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, said in a statement.— Associated Press

Monday, 06:31 pm

Schools mull outdoor classes amid virus, ventilation worries

It has been seven years since the central air conditioning system worked at the New York City middle school where Lisa Fitzgerald O’Connor teaches. As a new school year approaches amid the coronavirus pandemic, she and her colleagues are threatening not to return unless it's repaired.Her classroom has a window air conditioning unit, but she fears the stagnant air will increase the chances that an infected student could spread the virus.“Window units just aren’t going to cut it. We don’t want to stay cool, we just want the air to flow properly,” said O’Connor, a science teacher who has worked at the Patria Mirabal School in Manhattan since 2009. “We are really super stressed out about it.”Read the full story here.— Associated Press

Monday, 06:31 pm

Pandemic wrecks global Class of 2020's hopes for first job

British fashion school graduate Phoebe St. Leger’s dream of landing a job at a design label is on hold. Like many others in the global Class of 2020, the pandemic is clouding her career ambitions.The coronavirus forced the cancellation of her university graduating class's final-year fashion show, removing the chance to show her knitwear collection to people in the industry, some of whom might have liked her work enough to offer her a job.Read the full story here.— Associated Press

Monday, 02:07 pm

Health officials are quitting or getting fired amid outbreak

Vilified, threatened with violence and in some cases suffering from burnout, dozens of state and local public health officials around the U.S. have resigned or have been fired amid the coronavirus outbreak, a testament to how politically combustible masks, lockdowns and infection data have become.A review by the Kaiser Health News service and The Associated Press finds at least 48 state and local public health leaders have resigned, retired or been fired since April across 23 states. The list has grown by more than 20 people since the AP and KHN started keeping track in June.—Associated Press

Monday, 02:00 pm

Parking by a meter in downtown Salt Lake? Be prepared to pay for that again

Citing a need for short-term parking that’s emerged over the summer, Salt Lake City officials will again enforce parking meter fares and time limitations Tuesday for the first time since March.Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall signed a declaration to resume parking meter fares on July 28 but gave a two-week notice before the enforcement would begin. City parking enforcement officers issued warnings to parking violators after the order was signed, but citations will be issued starting Tuesday.—Carter Williams, KSL.com

Monday, 01:58 pm

263 more COVID-19 cases, 9 deaths reported in Utah Monday

Utah health officials on Monday reported the state's lowest COVID-19 case increase in nearly two months, but also reported a high number of deaths.Utah’s number of COVID-19 cases increased by 263 from Sunday, with nine more deaths reported, according to the Utah Department of Health. Monday is the first time the state has seen under 300 new cases of the disease in a single day since June 15, but the number of reported deaths ties the second-highest single-day number reported so far.For a full analysis of Utah's COVID-19 numbers, click here. —Jacob Klopfenstein, KSL.com

Monday, 01:10 pm

Players unite in push to save college season, create union

Michigan defensive back Hunter Reynolds saw the tweets from Trevor Lawrence and other college football players pushing for the opportunity to play this season despite the pandemic.Reynolds, one of the organizers behind a players' rights movement in the Big Ten, didn't like the way some on social media seemed to be pitting Lawrence's message against the efforts of #BigTenUnited and #WeAreUnited.“There was a lot of division," Reynolds told AP early Monday morning.— Associated Press

Monday, 01:10 pm

10 Utah Latter-day Saint temples to enter next reopening phase this month

Seventeen temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including 10 in Utah, will enter phase two of the church’s reopening process next week, the church announced Monday.All temples worldwide closed earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.In phase two of the church’s plan, temples will be allowed to open for living ordinances only, but with COVID-19 safety restrictions in place.— Jacob Klopfenstein, KSL.com

Monday, 01:10 pm

Coach Kim: The bigger problem COVID-19 may be creating in your home

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, more families are finding mental health issues arising from the ongoing fear of getting sick, the fear of losing loved ones, the social isolation, and the fear of the unknown.Many mental health professionals say that during this pandemic mental health matters more than ever.It might help your family to talk about safety and where a sense of safety can come from.– Kim Giles, KSL.com Contributor

Monday, 07:14 am

Constitutionality, states' participation questioned under Trump's unemployment plan

Whether President Donald Trump has the constitutional authority to extend federal unemployment benefits by executive order remains unclear. Equally up in the air is whether states, which are necessary partners in Trump's plan to bypass Congress, will sign on.Trump announced an executive order Saturday that extends additional unemployment payments of $400 a week to help cushion the economic fallout of the pandemic.— Associated Press

Sunday, 10:57 pm

ICYMI: Catch up on coronavirus developments from yesterday

US coronavirus cases pass 5 million

376 new cases and 1 death reported Sunday

As college leaders meet, football players push to play

Get all of Sunday's coronavirus news here.

Coronavirus updates: Utah delegation responds to Trump executive orders

By KSL Staff | Updated - Aug. 10, 2020 at 10:28 p.m. | Posted - Aug. 10, 2020 at 7:22 a.m.

(Kristin Murphy, KSL)

Romney says Trump coronavirus relief orders 'tenuous' but likely legal; Curtis calls them 'irresponsible'

Which mask? Neck fleeces, bandanas least effective at stopping COVID-19 droplets, study finds

Impasse over coronavirus relief 'inexcusable,' Rep. Ben McAdams says

Mountain West Conference says it will punt football, fall sports seasons to spring

In virus talks, Pelosi holds firm; Mnuchin wants a deal

US employers post more jobs in June, pull back on hiring

No federal relief leaves states, cities facing big deficits

Schools mull outdoor classes amid virus, ventilation worries

Pandemic wrecks global Class of 2020's hopes for first job

Health officials are quitting or getting fired amid outbreak

Parking by a meter in downtown Salt Lake? Be prepared to pay for that again

263 more COVID-19 cases, 9 deaths reported in Utah Monday

Players unite in push to save college season, create union

10 Utah Latter-day Saint temples to enter next reopening phase this month

Coach Kim: The bigger problem COVID-19 may be creating in your home

Constitutionality, states' participation questioned under Trump's unemployment plan

ICYMI: Catch up on coronavirus developments from yesterday

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