For the first time in nearly three years, Salt Lake County is officially ending its COVID-19 emergency status.
The status was originally enacted during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 6, 2020, but now after 1,033 days, the status officially ended on January 3. The recommendation to end this policy was originally made in a partnership between Mayor Jenny Wilson and Dr. Angela Dunn, Executive Director of the Salt Lake County Health Department.
Dunn says that even though COVID is still affecting many across the nation, the health department’s normal infrastructure is now sufficient enough to handle new cases and that people should still recognize the importance of staying home with COVID-19 symptoms and wearing masks.
Mayor Wilson says that under Dunn’s leadership, the county’s health department is thriving and the entire county is remaining strong from a financial perspective.
Since the pandemic began, Salt Lake County reported over 402,600 cases of COVID-19 and 1,791 deaths linked to it. The county also reported 13,237 hospitalizations with about 3,000 of those patients being admitted to ICUs.
