Monday morning, July 20, 2020
State
Utah Averages 637 New COVID Cases Over Last Week
The Utah Department of Health reported 1,545 new cases of COVID-19 throughout the state over the weekend. The 7-day average is now 637 cases every day. The Tri-County Health District, which includes Uintah and Duchesne counties, saw the biggest rate of increase. It was nearly 10% on Saturday and just over 14% on Sunday. That area also includes Daggett County, which is one of only two counties in the state that have not reported any cases of infection. State officials also reported eight deaths on Saturday from Salt Lake, Weber, Washington, and San Juan Counties. There were no deaths reported Sunday. — Elaine Clark
Follow KUER’s coverage of the coronavirus in Utah.
Northern Utah
Demonstrators Call For More Oversight Of Police
Demonstrations for police reform continued Saturday night in Salt Lake City, as more than 100 people gathered at the state Capitol. Activists called for the repeal of a state law, H.B. 415, which prohibits Utah cities and counties from creating an independently-elected committee or board with “certain powers over a police chief.” Those include the ability to overrule a chief’s hiring or to veto a new policy. Demonstrators said the law prevents communities from having true oversight over their police departments. State lawmakers said it still allows for civilian review boards, but ensures city council members, county commissioners or state legislators maintain the ultimate authority over policy and budget decisions. Read the full story. — Jon Reed
Ogden Considers Pedestrian Only 25th Street
Ogden City officials are considering an idea that would involve closing off Historic 25th Street to cars. The Standard-Examiner reports that Mayor Mike Caldwell said the city is open to any and all ideas that might help local restaurants and bars, which have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent economic slowdown. Many establishments in the Ogden area are still closed to dine-in service. One idea that's gaining traction in some cities is temporarily prohibiting vehicular traffic. In Ogden, that'd be on 25th Street between Grant and Wall avenues. That would then allow businesses there to expand seating and use the extra space to spread customers out. — Associated Press
Region/Nation
Support Slips For GOP Governors Over Pandemic Response
Back in May, all but one Governor enjoyed higher approval ratings than the President over their handling of the pandemic. But according to a recent Gallup poll, approval for Republican governors is falling, as those for Democrats remain the same. The biggest swing has been among Independent voters. Economist Anne Alexander of the University of Wyoming said the problem was these states shifted to a post-pandemic response before they were actually in a post-pandemic reality. She said the key to bouncing back as a nation is decoupling politics from the pandemic. — Cooper McKim, Mountain West News Bureau