SALT LAKE CITY-The University of Utah will commence random testing for COVID-19 at households in Utah, Salt Lake, Summit and Davis counties.
Despite Wasatch County’s per capita issues with COVID-19, they are not on this list.
The Utah HERO (Health & Economic Recovery Outreach) will be testing 10,000 Utahns across four counties and the data will assist the state as they continue to make decisions to keep communities safe and get people working again.
Utah HERO team members will notify the households selected with a flyer or door hanger explaining the project.
Utah HERO data will be used to establish the rate of infection as well as decipher rates of the virus in various age groups and job categories.
This will help indicate where COVID-19 has spread, which occupations and other groups are most impacted and how many undetected infections are occurring.
The project will:
-begin sampling small numbers of households, then scale up over a period of weeks
-ensure survey participants do not pay for testing. They do not need to show proof of insurance
-do not need to show ID or proof of residency
-will be instructed on safe practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19
-those with positive test results will be notified and given instructions on how to quarantine and prevent spread of the disease within households.
-The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has generously provided parking lot space for additional testing sites.
