Utah closing public schools to prevent spread of coronavirus

Utah will close most public school functions starting Monday to reduce the risk of spreading the new coronavirus, though doors will stay open to help families who need things like tutoring and meals, state officials said Friday.

Gov. Gary Herbert said teaching will move online or through packets sent home, with each district devising its own plans soon. The step is considered preventative in Utah, which has confirmed a handful of cases caught outside the state.

“We think this is prudent. This is based on good science. This is based on what we’ve learned from other areas of the country and around the world,” Herbert said.

Even though Utah doesn’t have community spread, its likely only a matter of time, said Dr. Kurt Hegmann, director of the Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of Utah.

Hegmann urged people to keep their children away from large gatherings and at safe distances from others during the break.

Other effects of the pandemic rippled though politics, religion and the courts.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temporarily suspended activities like ceremonial baptisms for dead ancestors at its temples worldwide, though ordinances like marriages can still be done by appointment in some locations. The faith has already suspended worship services and decided to hold its signature conference without attendees.

Meanwhile, gubernatorial candidate Jeff Burningham suspended his effort to gather signatures to qualify for the primary ballot, with the Republican saying he “couldn’t sleep” thinking about potential spread knocking on hundreds of doors a day. Another Another GOP candidate, Jan Garbett, said it’s been hard to get voter signatures because people are refusing to open their doors, the Deseret News reported .

State courthouses will also be quiet: hearings considered nonessential were canceled, and those necessary to ensure the right to a fair and speedy trial were being held over video feed. Salt Lake City municipal courts were also taking steps to limit risk of spreading the virus, the newspaper reported .

Utah has a handful of cases of the new coronavirus, including Utah Jazz players Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.

For most people, it causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.