This is your daily news rundown for Friday, March 20. In this edition:
- Salt Lake City is entering a mild water shortage advisory. Other cities may follow
- Measles was found at four Salt Lake County medical centers in one day
- Utah Valley University is expanding its CARE Hub for students
Salt Lake City is adjusting for water shortage. Other cities could follow suit
Salt Lake City is entering a mild water shortage advisory — and other cities could follow in the coming months.
While Utah’s reservoirs are doing well right now, Utah’s snowpack levels are among its worst ever and there’s record-low snow water equivalent, which is the water we get out of snow.
Under Salt Lake’s Stage 2 advisory, the city’s public utilities call for water usage to drop by 10 million gallons per day. Government facilities will be required to reduce indoor usage by 10%, while resident conservation is voluntary.
During his monthly briefing, Gov. Spencer Cox said he anticipates most of Utah will have restrictions when summer hits.
He’s also considering a drought declaration to bring in federal support, but it would only be good for 30 days unless lawmakers vote to extend it, so Cox said he would wait until it’s needed.
Measles was found at four Salt Lake County medical clinics on the same day
Health officials have identified more measles exposure locations, including medical clinics and a movie theater.
Four medical clinics in Salt Lake County had measles cases on March 13 — Primary Children’s Hospital Emergency Department, SouthRidge InstaCare, Foothill Family Clinic, and Olympus Clinic.
A measles case was also confirmed at the Cottonwood Megaplex on March 10.
As of Friday, 443 measles cases have been confirmed in Utah. Almost a quarter of those were reported in the last three weeks.
According to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, the best way to prevent measles is with two doses of the MMR vaccine. Almost all measles infections in the last year have been in unvaccinated individuals.
Utah Valley University is supporting its CARE Hub for students
Utah Valley University is expanding a service that provides physical, emotional, and mental support for students.
The CARE Hub has services like a free food pantry, educational resources, and emergency short-term housing.
This week, the university announced they’d received a $500,000 donation to expand the program. That money will be used to expand the CARE Hub’s physical space to provide private consultation areas and more food access.
