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Gov. Cox Addresses Rising COVID-19 Cases Counts, Implications For Back-To-School

Phil Roeder https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

COVID-19 cases are continuing to rise in Utah. On Tuesday, Gov. Spencer Cox held a press conference to address those numbers. 

Cox said last month the state was predicting to see 1,200 new COVID cases a day and those predictions have unfortunately become reality.

“There will be consequences for those who decide not to get the vaccine," he said. "Those consequences may be hospitalization. Those consequences may be death.”

According to the governor, COVID-19 related deaths are increasing among younger people because most individuals over age 65 are vaccinated. On Monday, 15 new coronavirus deaths were reported for Utah. Seven of those people were under the age of 65.

Gov. Cox said as the school year approaches, it is wise for parents to make sure children who are old enough to be vaccinated have received their shots.

“If your child is vaccinated and there are outbreaks that start in a school, your child will not have to be quarantined," he said. "They won’t have to miss practice, games or competitions.” 

He said even if a child is in contact with someone at school who has COVID-19, if the child is vaccinated or wearing a high quality mask, they will not need to be quarantined.

For children under 12 who can not be vaccinated yet, Gov. Cox said the best protection is vaccinated adults and high quality masks.

He also announced the state will be providing a kn95 mask to every child in Utah who wants one. The masks will be made available to every school in the state.  

Cox was also joined by Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson. She said both her and the governor will support businesses if they want to make it a requirement for their employees to get vaccinated.

Harley is a news reporter at UPR. She covers a bit of everything, but especially news dealing with education and updates from the governor. She has always loved both writing and public speaking, so radio is perfect for her. She is a student at USU studying journalism, sociology, and criminal justice. Outside of work and school, she loves running, hiking, and exploring National Parks.