First COVID-19 case confirmed in Box Elder County, new procedures announced

By Taylor Cripe 

The Bear River Health Department announced its first case of COVID-19 in Box Elder County on Tuesday afternoon.

The person is an adult under the age of 60 and, according to Tuesday’s announcement, appears to have been exposed to a known case in Salt Lake County. The individual’s family has also been asked to self-quarantine for 14 days and monitor for symptoms.

This case brought the state’s total number of cases to 51, according to the Utah Department of Health, with 41 confirmed Utah residents and 10 visitors to the state.

Health department public information officer Holly Budge said there are test results from other patients waiting to come in, but the length of time it takes to get results back is spotty.

“We always hope it’s 24 hours, but it depends on who is doing it and if they have time,” Budge said.

While health officials will have a better idea of how the virus is spreading once more tests become available, they are still uncertain of when those tests will come in.

“All we know is that more tests will be made available, but we don’t have any information beyond that,” Budge said.

In the meantime, Budge said people experiencing light or mild symptoms should practice self-isolation. She added there is really no need to seek emergency medical treatment unless symptoms become severe, and people can call the Utah Coronavirus information line at 1-800-456-7707 if they have concerns.

“The message we need to convey in all of this is if you are sick, and it doesn’t matter with what, just stay home,” Budge said. “If you have the flu stay home, if you have a bad cold stay home. Please don’t go out and get others sick.”

Brad Gillman, the media relations manager with Intermountain Healthcare, also said there is little information on when new tests will be available. However, due to the growing number of cases in Utah, hospitals are updating some procedures and guidelines.

Beginning this week, non-urgent elective medical procedures will be postponed. This will free up space and resources for an expected surge in COVID-19 patients, Gillman said.

Additionally, according to an Intermountain announcement Tuesday, hospital visitation will be severely restricted. Only two visitors at a time will be allowed to see end-of-life patients and healthy babies. Only one visitor is allowed for patients undergoing surgery, and no one can visit confirmed or possible COVID-19 patients.

“There is no timeline for when these guidelines end,” Gillman said. “This is the reality for the foreseeable future.”

Lloyd Berentzen, the director of the BRHD, said in Tuesday’s press release he wanted to remind everyone that most people who get COVID-19 will experience very mild symptoms, but the community must slow the spread of the disease.

“I urge the public to please practice social distancing,” Berentzen said. “Do not gather in groups of 10 or more, stay home if you are sick, wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your face.”

According to Budge, the Utah.gov website will update every day by 1 p.m. with any new cases and related information. Relevant news can we found by going to https://coronavirus.utah.gov/latest/