During the Summit County Council’s weekly meeting, held on Monday, the segment for Council Comments—usually devoted to miscellaneous topics—was dominated by talk of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the items they mentioned was the second Covid death just recorded for Summit County. One Council member talked about his own bout with the infection.
Over the weekend, the state announced the second recorded Covid death for Summit County. Council Member Kim Carson made note of that.
“On behalf of Council, our hearts go out to that family. And we’ve been fortunate to only have two deaths. But any one death is too many.”
Carson said citizens should enjoy the upcoming holidays and be thankful, but it’s still incredibly important to follow the precautions of masking, social distancing and hand-washing.
County Attorney Margaret Olson added there are a number of locals who have died, but aren’t recorded as Covid deaths for Summit County. She said a long-time neighbor and friend, who had lived here for 37 years, died at an assisted-living facility in another county.
And Council Member Roger Armstrong revealed that he was just experiencing the tail end of a two-week infection period.
“And I can tell people that it’s not my favorite thing to have done over the last two weeks. And I’ll also tell you that I’m one of the most conservative and cautious people when it comes to protection from Covid. Don’t go out much. I wear a mask when I do go out. And it still was a lapse someplace.”
He said that fortunately, he didn’t have any underlying ailments.
“And two weeks at the end of this thing, I can still feel some irritation in my lungs that’s trying to resolve itself. My head’s still a little bit fuzzy. And I can tell you, having gone through it, I’m not sure that I’m entirely confident about what the future may bring in terms of long-term consequences.”
Armstrong said that the coronavirus is everywhere in the state, and hospitals are running out of space.
He added that even a lockdown in the county at this point likely won’t help. Afterward, the surge would just come back due to the presence of the virus in surrounding areas.
And he had a forceful message for those who still don’t want to wear masks.
“If you’re advocating for not wearing a mask, I say with all due respect, that’s both careless, it’s stupid, it causes harm to other people. Wear a mask. It’s not that big a deal. We’re not infringing on your constitutional rights. Just wear the mask. Be respectful to your neighbors. Honor the lives of others that are at risk right now, and wear a mask. It’s a simple thing that you can do for your community, for your friends, for your neighbors and your parents. And shut up about the infringement of rights and your right to not wear a mask. You’re putting others at risk. Knock it off.”
Council Member Glenn Wright had a similar message, noting that he lives across the street from the Kearns Boulevard school campuses.
“And whenever I drive or walk by there, I see students, who have been masked and separated all day long at school, remove their masks and socially congregate within about ten feet of leaving the premises. So, parents, let’s start showing some guidance for your kids and let’s get them all on the same page, as we all should be in the community. Otherwise, we’re gonna have a really grim next few months.”
And County Manager Tom Fisher reminded residents that they modified county operations after Governor Herbert’s order on Nov. 8th.
“We’ve gone back to our essential services, being those that are in the office or in their facilities, and trying to protect them as much as possible by not gathering, and keeping down the amount of time that people are in our offices. So to the public, if you’re seeking out services of the county, they are all still available. You just need to call ahead, e-mail ahead, contact us ahead of time.”
Summit County Manager Tom Fisher.
