SALT LAKE CITY-Thursday, Utah Governor Gary Herbert again addressed the Utah media during his daily briefing at the State Capitol Building.
Herbert rehashed many of Wednesday’s comments, saying “the next two weeks are critical.”
He cautioned senior citizens over 60 to be “extra vigilant” and speaking on behalf of the state declared, “We all need to do our part.”
Herbert again cited jobs.utah.gov as a resource for Utahns out of work to get back on their feet amid the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
The big news of the day was an announcement from Lehi-based Silicon Slopes to make tests for Utahns more accessible.
They launched the “Utah Crush the Curve” Campaign which consists of a series of machines to be placed at various locations across the state to test Utahns. Herbert presently hopes for 7,000 tests a day if at all possible.
There are two of these machines being used already, at both Orem and Provo, as Utah County is considered a location that is being under-tested at this stage.
Silicon Slopes founder David Elkington said the hope is for there to be “ubiquitous testing for anyone who has symptoms and needs it [to be tested].”
All Utahns are encouraged to go to testutah.com and fill out the questionnaire to see if they need to be tested or if health professionals believe they should be tested.
Once collected, this information will be kept confidential and after it is transported to the proper authorities in confidentiality, the data for these tests will then be destroyed.
Herbert confirmed that visitors coming into Utah from Salt Lake City International Airport are quarantined when they get off the plane to ensure they are spreading no illnesses with them.
He also spoke of the possibility of placing checkpoints on the freeway near the Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado and Wyoming borders.
To conclude the remarks, Utah State epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn stated there are presently 1,074 cases of COVID-19 in the Beehive State. This is an increase of 62 from yesterday and the positive test rate continues to hover around 5 percent.
There is a 2-3-day lag in negative tests coming in, Dunn also confirmed. While the rate remains constant the past few days, she said, it is presumptuous to say a change is occurring at this stage.
Dunn welcomes the testing machines as she confirmed “any initiative that allows us to find more positive tests allows us to do public health initiatives better.”
Dunn concluded her statements by confirming that anyone with symptoms consistent with coronavirus can reach out to their public health officials and get assessed for a test as soon as possible.
