Jon Reed

Public transportation ridership in Utah has plummeted since the coronavirus pandemic began. 

The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic has shattered small businesses around the country. 

Minority communities are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus, according to demographic data from the Utah Department of Health. Early efforts to spread information about the virus failed to reach non-English speaking communities, but now several initiatives are underway to target hotspots in vulnerable communities, including one launching this weekend.

As Utah and several other states begin to reopen sections of their economies, the U.S. Travel Association released guidelines Monday for how to safely bring the nation’s tourism industry back to life. 

Utah’s hospitals have seen a sharp reduction in patient admissions over the last two months. Across the Intermountain Healthcare system, for example — the largest in Utah — 50% fewer patients are going to the emergency room, according to Dr. Adam Balls, emergency department chair at Intermountain Medical Center.

Health care providers are on the frontlines in the fight against the coronavirus. As they head in to work each day to confront a virus that is both unpredictable and highly contagious, it’s highlighting the need for them to be taken care of as well. 

Restaurants and bars were among the first and hardest hit businesses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. To assist, a number of financial lifelines have been extended, including low-interest loans from federal, state and local governments. 

As demographic data emerges around the country about which people are most vulnerable, health officials are now seeing that the virus disproportionately hurts people of color, particularly those who live in dense, urban areas.

With the coronavirus forcing businesses to close and leaving many out of work, Gov. Gary Herbert put a temporary stop to evictions in Utah and is allowing renters to defer rent payments until May 15. 

Despite the growing need for health care in response to the coronavirus pandemic, hospitals, along with almost every industry in the country, have been hit economically. As they’ve geared up for a potential surge in coronavirus patients, major revenue sources have started drying up. 

With online classes now the norm for most of the country’s schools and universities, students are adapting to learn in new ways. At the same time, many of the traditional benchmarks required in college applications — standardized testing and extracurricular activities — have largely been postponed or canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

State officials unveiled one of Utah’s major contingency plans Monday in the fight against COVID-19 — 260 makeshift hospital beds that could be used if state hospitals are overrun. 

A Salt Lake City nursing home has Utah’s first confirmed incident of community transmission of COVID-19 at a care facility, state and local health officials announced Saturday, the day after officials confirmed the first case in the Department of Corrections.

Updated 6:41 p.m. MDT 4/2/2020: This story has been updated to reflect an announcement from the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s office Thursday. 

Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said Thursday the state’s first inmate has tested positive for COVID-19. The inmate was one of six to have been tested for the virus out of roughly 1,400 countywide and is currently under isolation. 51 other inmates from the same unit have also been moved to medical quarantine cells at Metro Jail from the smaller Oxbow facility. 

Utah, along with the rest of the country, continues to see huge spikes in the number of workers filing for unemployment claims. 

Updated 9:45 a.m. MDT 4/2/2020

Gov. Gary Herbert issued an executive order Wednesday allowing Utah renters to defer rent payments and offering eviction protection until May 15.

The Utah System of Higher Education Board of Regents voted Thursday to raise tuition at seven of the state’s eight public universities. 

In light of statewide recommendations to remain at home in order to slow the spread of coronavirus, domestic abuse calls have been on the rise over the last two weeks, according to the Salt Lake City Police Department.

The coronavirus outbreak is still relatively under control in Utah compared to other states. As of Friday afternoon, 112 people in the state had tested positive for the disease but officials warn the worst is still ahead.

As the economic toll of social distancing weighs on bars and restaurants, Gov. Gary Herbert issued an executive order Wednesday evening to make it easier for them to return the alcohol they bought in March but can no longer sell.

As schools and businesses gear up for closures, school districts in Utah are looking for ways to keep learning going outside the classroom.

Updated 11:27 a.m. MDT 3/15/2020

Gov. Gary Herbert announced Friday afternoon that all public schools in the state will be dismissed starting Monday, March 16. 

On Thursday, state officials made recommendations for all public universities to suspend large gatherings, restrict non-essential travel and move classes online to help limit the spread of coronavirus.

Beginning Thursday, Utah households will start receiving a notice in the mail to fill out the 2020 U.S. Census. The attempt to count everyone in the country happens once a decade and affects how billions of Federal dollars are distributed. 

Tourism is a big business in Utah. In 2018 alone, the industry generated $9.75 billion and brought in travelers from all over the world. That included a record number of visitors to the state’s national parks and ski resorts.