Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has made it a priority to learn from the state’s COVID-19 response and to use that knowledge to fortify the state against future disasters.
In 2019, Utah health officials assessed that a pandemic flu was their highest concern for a disaster. On March 6, 2020, that worry became a reality when officials announced the first known case of COVID-19 in Utah.
Nearly two weeks later on March 18, Utah’s capital city shook from the massive 5.7 Magna earthquake, forcing the state’s emergency managers to respond to two concurrent disasters. Kris Hamlet, the director of the Utah Division of Emergency Management , said it was the first time in Utah history that the state Emergency Operations Center — Utah’s disaster management hub — had been put into a “Level 1 — Full Activation.
And in the last two years, Utah has experienced hurricane-force winds, drought, heat waves and wildfires, some of which have required their own state and local emergency declarations. The Salt Lake Tribune caught up with Hamlet to see what Utah’s emergency managers have learned from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response and what the state was doing to prepare for the next disaster, whether it be climate change-induced flash flooding or a major quake on the Wasatch Fault.This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aim to inform readers across the state.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Utah reports 3,303 new COVID cases Wednesday, most is a single day since JanuaryThe Utah Department of Health reported 3,303 new COVID cases and seven more deaths since the day before.
Read more »
Rose Bowl Mic Check: Ohio State Faces Stiff Test Against Utah Run GameAfter getting manhandled in losses to Oregon and Michigan, Ohio State's rush defense is once again faced with a major challenge as it tries to slow Utah in the Rose Bowl.
Read more »
Utah reports highest 1-day increase of new coronavirus cases in nearly a yearOn Wednesday, the Utah Department of Health reported 3,303 new coronavirus cases in the past day — 82% more than the previous day (1,816) and the highest single-day increase reported in nearly a year.
Read more »
Omicron even more widespread as COVID-19 cases explode; could Utah hit 5,000 cases a day?A top scientist at the Utah Department of Health said the omicron variant is likely responsible for more than 70% of the state's COVID-19 cases, a jump from an earlier estimate.
Read more »