SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah’s governor has repealed local orders creating criminal penalties for people who gather in large groups as health officials warn that the coronavirus make take months to deal with.
Republican Gov. Gary Herbert said Thursday the orders in Salt Lake and Utah counties, two of the state’s most populated, had not been approved by the state government. The state has recommended against large gatherings, but not created a criminal penalty. Herbert said in a statement “we call upon all people to act rationally and with the good faith and commonsense.”
The orders would have made large gathering a misdemeanor, a step aimed at combating the spread of the virus.
Authorities haven’t been filing criminal charges but want to make sure people understand the seriousness of the pandemic, Utah County Attorney David Leavitt said in a statement, according to the Daily Herald. The original order excluded grocery stores.
In Salt Lake County, officials also said the order was aimed at making sure people weren’t congregating in close quarters and risking spread of the virus.
The flap comes as health officials warn the state is at the beginning of the epidemic. “Outbreaks like this can be expected to last several months,” said state epidemiologist Angela Dunn.
The virus has already forced dine-in closures at restaurants and bars statewide, and a nearly 30 percent spike in unemployment claims last week, part of a national surge. the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
Utah has 78 cases of coronavirus and no deaths.
For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. But for the elderly and people with existing conditions, it can cause more severe illness. The vast majority of those who are infected recover.
