Utah Governor Herbert declares state of emergency, statewide mask mandate

The Utah State Capital Building. Photo: Photo by Chris An

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah. —On Sunday Nov. 8, 2020, Gov. Gary R. Herbert declared a State of Emergency and issued a statewide mask mandate for Utah. Both orders go into effect on Monday, Nov. 9 and will remain in place until Nov. 23, 2020. The governor’s actions come in response to a surge in cases throughout the state that is resulting in hospital overcrowding.

“The situation is dire and unsustainable,” a statement on Utah.gov reads. “We must take action now to protect our hospitals and healthcare workers and to avoid further devastation on our families, communities, and businesses.”

Here are a few line-items in the executive order:

• Masks are required to be worn by everyone in the State of Utah. (Please note that this has been mandated of residents, employees and visitors in Summit county since June 2020)
• Casual social gatherings are limited only to members of your household
• High school extracurricular activities are put on hold
• Students who attend in-person classes once a week or are living on campus at a Utah college or university must be tested weekly for COVID-19
• For more details on what’s required of Utah state residents under the executive order, below is a great resource from Coronavirus.utah.gov: