Monday morning, December 14, 2020
State
COVID-19 Vaccine Arrives As 96% ICU Beds Full
Utah reported more than 5,700 positive COVID-19 cases over the weekend. Technical issues caused Saturday’s count to include roughly 1,100 cases from last week. Also over the weekend, 30 more people died from the virus. As of Sunday, 548 Utahns were hospitalized due to COVID-19 and about 96% of ICU beds are filled statewide. Officials are expecting Utah’s first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine to arrive Monday and Tuesday at four Intermountain Healthcare hospitals. — Lexi Peery
Follow KUER’s coverage of the coronavirus in Utah.
State Allocates Final $200 Million In CARES Funds
Utah has now allocated all of its federal CARES Act money that must be spent by the end of the year. Last week, officials directed the remaining roughly $2 million to the state’s rent relief program. But Utah still has to spend about $200 million, and the state budget director Phil Dean said he anticipates that they will. If Congress passes another round of coronavirus relief funding, Dean said he hopes it won’t come with “arbitrary” deadlines to spend the money. — Sonja Hutson
Northern Utah
Winter Weather Advisory
The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for much of Northern Utah in effect now until Monday at midnight. The service is forecasting up to three inches of snow from Northwestern Utah down to Central Utah. Drivers should be careful of slippery roads, especially along the I-15 corridor and plan for longer commutes. — Roddy Nikpour
Ogden Police Disband Outdoor Homeless Community
Ogden police on Thursday disbanded an outdoor homeless community that had grown this year. Shelter officials said the pandemic is a contributing factor to the growth because the coronavirus spreads more easily in indoor spaces like shelters. According to the Standard-Examiner, police said the number of people who need shelter hasn't grown significantly, but the encampment is more prominent than it has been in years past. The director of the Lantern House shelter said the pandemic has made people afraid to stay there, even though they've taken steps like testing and wearing masks. — Associated Press
Redford To Sell Sundance Mountain Resort
Robert Redford has agreed to sell the Sundance Mountain Resort to a pair of real estate investment firms Broadreach Capital Partners LLC and Cedar Capital Partners Limited, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. The renowned actor, filmmaker, and environmental activist opened the skiing destination in 1969. He announced the sale to employees Friday, though the price was not disclosed. Benjamin Leahy with Cedar Capital Partners said the companies are planning to improve Sundance's infrastructure, like adding ski runs, a high-speed lift and other upgrades. — Associated Press
Southern Utah
Staffing Challenges In Washington County Schools
In the Washington County School District, no school has had to move online because of major COVID-19 outbreaks. But district officials said they’re still feeling the effects of the pandemic. Students coming to school sick has been one of the biggest challenges this semester for the district, said spokesperson Steven Dunham. He estimates that in a given week some schools in his district report sending a dozen or so students home. Not all of those students end up having COVID-19, but Dunham said it’s still too much of a risk to have them at school. La Verkin Elementary teacher Becky Seymour said there haven’t been too many cases at her school. But several employees have been in quarantine and that has an impact on staffing. Read the full story. — Lexi Peery, St. George
Region
Report Recommends Centralized Database For Missing And Murdered Indigenous People
President Donald Trump’s task force on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People has released its first report. It recommends the creation of a centralized database to track cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People and increased federal funding for local efforts to address the crisis. Jolene Holgate is with the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women based in Albuquerque. She praised an effort by the task force to increase federal resources for addressing the crisis. Over the summer, it convened seven federal investigative teams to work on unsolved cases involving Native people. — Savannah Maher, Mountain West News Bureau