Utah Governor Announces Roadmap to Re-Open the Utah Economy
Governor Gary Herbert announced an update to his Utah Leads Together economic plan. This is the roadmap to re-opening the Utah economy in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdown.
In collaboration with various business organizations and the legislature the governor announced that Utah will use a color-coded rating system to alert the public on what level of threat there is of the virus being spread. The colors are:
Red = High threat level of spread
Orange = Moderate threat level of spread
Yellow = Low threat level of spread
Green = New Normal
Currently the whole state is at a Red status.
The governor has described this new coding system as a dimmer light dial with a knob that turns in the direction as needed to protect Utahns as opposed to an on/off light switch which only sends power or shuts it down. The hope is that this approach will allow for more elements of the economy to continue operation while certain areas will be more restricted to prevent spread of the virus.
The color system will be used regionally, meaning different areas of the state will likely be different colors under the system. Rural Utah may find itself more quickly in a yellow or orange status while more heavily populated spots may remain red longer or in a different color for a longer period of time.
All of the state is still expected to follow these general guidelines under the plan:
Common Sense and Personal Responsibility
– Public health guidance cannot anticipate every unique situation. Residents and businesses must take personal responsibility to be informed and take actions based on common sense and wise judgment that will protect health and support economic reactivation.
Protective Hygiene and Cleaning
– Utahns must practice protective hygiene and cleaning regimens to minimize the risk of the virus. These include but are not limited to the following:
1. Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds as frequently;
2. Use hand sanitizer after interactions with people or objects;
3. Cover coughs or sneezes into the sleeve or elbow, not hands;
4. Clean high-touch surfaces (buttons, door handles, counters, etc.) regularly;
5. Avoid touching your face; and
6. Refrain from hand shaking
Follow Guidance
– Public health and economic opportunity are intrinsically linked. Utahs must strictly follow the health guidance of each color or risk backtracking and causing greater economic harm.
High-risk Populations
– High-risk populations and those around them must follow a specific set of instructions issued by the Utah Department of Health.
In addition to these general guidelines for businesses the Utah Leads Together plan contains specific best practices for grocery, convenience stores and pharmacies. These were included in the addendum to the plan and you can download a copy of that addendum by clicking on the button below.
The color coded system is designed to work in concert with the governor’s phased timeline for the state to return to normal. The governor’s timeline indicates that Utah will move from an “Urgent” phase to a “stabilization” phase in late April or early May. The stabilization phase will last into late September or early October. If trends continue to show improvement for the state, then the state can move into a phase of economic recovery. These phases are only economic related not virus spread related.
In addition to this announcement Gov. Herbert also announced that he would be reopening the state parks. Some state parks may still be closed due to local health department orders but the vast majority of the state parks will be reopened today.
Finally, this was not an announcement that normal operations are around the corner. Rather this is a step towards opening businesses with new regulations in place. Social distancing will likely be considered a new normal for an extended period of time. Telecommuting will continue to be expected and gatherings of more than 10 people are still prohibited.
Please reach out to association president Dave Davis if you have any questions.
