Monday evening, November 16, 2020
State
COVID-19 Hospitalization Record
The Utah Department of Health reported Monday 503 people were hospitalized due to COVID-19. That number marked an all-time high. According to the state’s COVID dashboard, nearly 85% of all ICU beds statewide were in use. Utah was also nearing a 25% positivity rate for COVID-19 tests. The department reported 1,971 new COVID-19 cases and the deaths of five more people. — Caroline Ballard
Serious Complications For Children With COVID-19
Doctors from Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital warned that while children who contract COVID-19 mostly have mild symptoms, they can be at risk for serious complications. Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, or MIS-C, can put a strain on the heart, and symptoms look different from COVID-19 in adults, including stomach ache, vomiting and rash. Intermountain Healthcare doctors said they have seen 17 cases of MIS-C so far, but they’re anticipating more as the disease spreads. — Caroline Ballard
Utah’s 4th Congressional Race Decided
Nearly two weeks after the election, Democratic Rep. Ben McAdams has conceded the race for Utah’s 4th Congressional District to his Republican challenger Burgess Owens. As of 4 p.m. Monday, Owens was ahead of McAdams by 2,139 votes. When McAdams beat former Republican Rep. Mia Love for the seat in 2018, he bested her by just under 700 votes. Owens is a former NFL player and a political newcomer, and with his win, all of Utah’s Congressional representatives will now be Republicans. Read the full story. — Emily Means
Northern Utah
Ski Resorts Plan For COVID-19 Safety
The COVID-19 pandemic brought last ski season to an early close. Utah resorts said the virus won’t stop skiers from hitting the slopes this winter though, and they’re determined to open successfully and stay that way through the season. All 15 Utah resorts are following a similar strategy: keep people outside and physically distant. That means fewer people in lines and indoor areas. If those guidelines are followed, the risk of spreading or catching the virus will be relatively low. Read the full story. — Jon Reed
Managing Cottonwood Canyons Traffic
A new system will limit traffic up Big and Little Cottonwood canyons this winter once parking lots and roadside parking are full. The Utah Department of Transportation and Unified Police Department will have turnaround points. Those with certain exceptions, like hotel guests, employees and those not parking, will be allowed up. Officials are expecting heavier traffic than usual on the way up to ski areas as more people turn to the outdoors during the pandemic, but fewer people use carpools or public transport. — Caroline Ballard
BYU In Space
NASA is launching two satellites made by students from Brigham Young University. About 60 students over the last five years worked on the project — small, metal cubes with cameras mounted on all six sides. They will take video and photos of spacecraft to detect damage that otherwise wouldn’t be seen. The BYU satellites will join others from eight universities and will launch from a Virgin Galactic spacecraft out of California. The launch will happen later this month though an exact date hasn’t been set yet. — Jon Reed
Region/Nation
Wolves Could Help Control Chronic Wasting Disease
Researchers say wolf populations may be an effective way to control the spread of chronic wasting disease. Wolves tend to target the weakest prey, and that, according to researchers, could help root out disease from local game herds. This strategy of predator cleansing is being studied by wildlife biologists in Yellowstone National Park’s wolf packs. The disease has spread to Montana, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico after first being discovered in captive deer populations in Colorado in the 1960s. It’s also been detected in Europe and Asia. — Beau Baker, Mountain West News Bureau