Coronavirus is officially in Cache Valley

By Taylor Cripe

Cache County officially confirmed two cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday morning.

The announcement came just one day after Box Elder County confirmed its first case of COVID-19.

The patients are a Logan couple, both of whom are over the age of 60. They did not require hospitalization, Bear River Health Department information officer Holly Budge said.

Bear River Health will seek to notify anyone who had close contact with the confirmed cases.

“The truth is we’ve always known this was just a matter of time,” Budge said. “It was just a question of when, but this is still hard.”

During the announcement, Bear River Health said it was receiving numerous calls from people concerned about the virus, as well as rumors of additional cases. Department officials have sought to assure residents that its epidemiology team will investigate all potential cases.

As of Thursday afternoon, there were 78 confirmed COVID-19 cases throughout Utah, and 1,526 reported people tested, according to the state. The actual number of people tested, however, is likely considerably higher because large private laboratories are not yet reporting negative results to the public.

“It’s not possible to keep this out of Cache Valley, but we need to control the spread,” Budge said. She encouraged residents to continue to practice social distancing and stay home if they are unwell.

Bear River Health has also stressed the importance of getting information about COVID-19 from reliable sources, as it has been made aware of individuals on social media who are impersonating the department.