Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This week, I received countless phone calls and emails regarding the state of emergency. I am working on finding a solution to this issue with my colleagues in the Legislature. To keep you updated on the progress, I will continue to send new information in my newsletter. Finding a solution to the state of emergency is not a quick fix and will take time. Thank you for your patience and your feedback.

Here are some COVID-19 updates from the state.

● The Utah Department of Health updated the coronavirus dashboard to include COVID-19 cases by school districts. Learn more about this change and other changes to the dashboard here.

● The Office of the State Auditor released an audit on Utah’s emergency procurements and response during the early stages of COVID-19. Read the audit here. Gov. Herbert addressed the recent audit and announced that he will be meeting with the unified command and healthcare professionals to talk about the state stockpile and actions to take to prepare for future pandemics and other emergencies.

● The Utah Department of Workforce Services launched a new web portal to help link Utahns to an estimated 30,000 available jobs. View the portal here.

● The Utah Labor Commission announced a new $2 million Small Business Quarantined Employee Grant to help small businesses pay employees to stay home during quarantine or isolation for a maximum of 40 hours per week for a period of up to two calendar weeks. More information here and here.

● The Governor's Office of Management and Budget released an economic snapshot, showing Utah’s economic progress during COVID-19. Read the report here.

As of October 1, at 1:00 p.m. the Utah Department of Health reported 74,050 positive cases, and an estimated 55,510 have recovered, 201 people are currently hospitalized and there have been 459 fatalities. Additional information can be found here.

While we have seen a recent increase in cases in the state, there are some positive COVID-19 trends that were shared during the weekly COVID-19 briefing:

• The state is seeing a significant reduction in cases among Latino communities.

• Hospital stays for COVID-19 patients are shortening.

• Utah has one of the lowest mortality rates in the United States.

Kind regards,

Senator Ron Winterton

Utah Senate District 26