Summit County declared a local emergency in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic Thursday evening, as announced through a press release.
Summit County Manager Tom Fisher with Chief Civil Deputy David Thomas issued the declaration. At the same time, Summit County Health Officer Richard Bullough with Chief Civil Deputy David Thomas issued a Declaration of Local Public Health Emergency Public Health Order which recognizes assistance is requested from both the State of Utah and the federal government to provide all necessary resources to combat such emergency to protect the community and provide emergency assistance.
“While there is no need for the public to panic, we recognize the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and are beginning these emergency processes while the number of Summit County cases is low and before we have community spread,” said Tom Fisher, Summit County Manager. “These declarations are preparatory and not reactionary measures.”
Following recommendations given earlier in the day by Governor Gary R. Herbert, the Public Health Order strongly recommends the following measures:
- No mass gatherings over one hundred (100) people should be held.
- Those individuals who are age sixty (60) or older, or who are immunocompromised, should not attend mass gatherings of over twenty (20) people.
- Access to long-term care facilities should be limited to close family relatives and facility staff.
- Where appropriate, employers should encourage their employees to work remotely from home.
- Where employees are sick, employers should encourage them to stay at home.
- Extra-curricular public and private school activities should be cancelled.
- Public and private schools should prepare for the possibility of closure.
“We are in complete agreement with the governor’s announcement today regarding mass gatherings and other preventive measures,” said Dr. Rich Bullough, Summit County Health Director. “We will be reviewing conditions at frequent intervals and while we don’t anticipate mandatory closures at this time, we are prepared to act in the best interests of public health in Summit County.”
