SALT LAKE CITY-Wednesday, at the Utah State Capitol Building, Utah Governor Gary Herbert spoke to the media for the first time since last Friday during the daily Utah Coronavirus Task Force briefing.
Herbert said that the Beehive State is making “significant headway” in the battle against COVID-19. He expressed gratitude toward Utahns as they have worked together and followed the instructions of the Utah Department of Health.
Herbert said he feels “cautiously optimistic” about the trends he and other state officials are observing.
Herbert also confirmed that Tuesday the state opened up some opportunities for elective surgeries.
Herbert called this “an incremental step” in Utah’s progression toward recovering from COVID-19.
He said this will help the medical profession resume some procedures while continuing the preservation of hospital beds, personal protective equipment and medicines.
Herbert said “Utah is a place where doctors have enough bed, personal protective equipment and medicine to treat patients and proceed with limited elective surgeries.
Herbert stated doctors can perform almost any necessary surgeries with enhanced safety protocol at their disposal.
He said elective medical procedures, such as medical and dental procedures, can return to normal with the proper safety precautions in place.
Herbert said that prior to entering clinics, temperatures of patients will be taken before entrance is granted.
Patients may be accompanied by one person and all on these visits are required to wear masks until further notice, Herbert said.
When asked about lifting restrictions and how he has been criticized by some for doing so, Herbert said “it’s easy to stand on the sidelines and criticize.” He confirmed that Utah’s infection rate for COVID-19 is lowering. He confirmed he would like to see it at or below 1 percent.
Based on Wednesday’s results, 3,445 positive tests in Utah have occurred out of 76,460 total tests administered. The state rate is currently at 4.50 percent.
Herbert then said Utah is moving out of the urgency phase toward stabilization based upon his Utah Leads Together initiative which was released last month.
Herbert then announced the launch of the app, “Healthy Together.” This innovation, he explained, is to “more efficiently” trace those who may have come in contact with a COVID-19 positive person.
So as not to compromise the personal rights of Utahns, Herbert said tracing can only occur with the permission of the person who is using the app. This allows those who think they may have COVID-19 symptoms to check for them as well as for testing sites.
This helps the department understand where the virus is spreading.
Herbert clarified that the location data will automatically be deleted after 30 days.
Symptom data, he continued, will automatically be de-identified after 30 days have passed..
Herbert concluded this portion of his statements by saying Healthy Together will comply with state requirements for data security and encryption.
Up next was Utah state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn. She confirmed that there are now 288 hospitalizations for COVID-19 in Utah (+11 from Tuesday) and two more deaths from Tuesday’s total, bringing the state count up to 34 deaths.
Dunn said both of these deaths were individuals over the age of 85. One was a resident of a long-term healthcare facility in Salt Lake County and the other was a Utah County resident who was hospitalized.
Dunn further spoke of Healthy Together only being available to healthcare officials if an individual chooses to share it. This app, she continued, will help to squelch the spread of the virus in Utah. This app also allows UDOH to have better contract tracing concerning COVID-19, she said.
Dunn reiterated that personal information is only accessible if Utahns choose to share it with UDOH.
Dunn said that designers behind the app are urging potential users to read the privacy policy carefully and thoroughly.
She concluded by saying data will only be used to battle COVID-19.
Jared Allgood, a representative of Healthy Together developer Twenty of Los Angeles, said Healthy Together has been designed to support contact health tracers.
He confirmed that Healthy Together and Test Utah will not compete with each other. Rather, he said, the data can be de-duplicated so it can be useful for contact tracers. In conclusion, he said, all information given on the app will only be used for COVID-19 efforts.
Wasatch County currently has 123 cases of COVID-19, six hospitalizations and one death, recorded on April 10.
The Utah Coronavirus Task Force will again address the media Thursday.
