SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – A spike in COVID-19 cases in Utah will continue if schools continue resisting state health department guidelines, an infectious disease expert warned Thursday.
The recent increase of new cases was likely driven by high school and colleges resuming in-person learning and could lead to an increase in hospitalizations for older people over the next few weeks, said Dr. Eddie Stenehjem, an infectious diseases specialist at the Intermountain Healthcare hospital network based in Salt Lake City.
“If we don’t do something we can’t expect a different result,” Stenehjem told reporters Thursday. “We can’t just hope that this gets better.”
Hospitalizations in the state have been declining since July and recently flattened out. But Stenehjem said he’s worried about young adults spreading the virus to their parents and grandparents.
Two Utah high schools that surpassed 15 cases of people who were infected among students and staff recently decided to ignore state guidelines recommending that schools that reach that number of cases close and switch to virtual learning for two weeks.
Over the past two weeks, the rolling average number of daily new coronavirus cases in Utah has increased by about 54%, according to state data.
Many of the new cases are being driven by college-age students in Utah County, home to Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University, state health officials said Monday. The county has not implemented a face covering mandate outside of the city of Provo.
Republican Gov. Gary Herbert has stopped short of implementing a statewide mask mandate during the pandemic but has continually urged people to wear face coverings to slow the spread of the virus.
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Sophia Eppolito is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
