The two-week Public Health Order put in place by Governor Gary Herbert will come to an end on Monday, Nov. 23 at midnight. While casual social gathering restrictions between different households will no longer be in effect, the state-wide mask mandate will remain enforced. Gov. Herbert spoke, urging Utahans to use caution and to keep gatherings “small and short in duration” during this Thanksgiving holiday.
“In spite of the challenges we face as Utahans and Americans, and literally around the world, as we have this Thanksgiving week, I hope we have opportunities to reflect upon all the things we should be thankful for, which are many,” he began. “It really is wanting to foster an attitude of gratitude for all of us because we have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving time. We hope that people have the opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving. We want you all to not only have a happy Thanksgiving, but a safe Thanksgiving.”
“Remember to have a safe practice as you gather. You increase the risk when you bring people into your home that are from outside the four walls of your house; that’s just the harsh reality and what the data shows us.” Governor Herbert then went on to say that if people choose to gather with people outside their household, wearing masks while keeping social distancing would limit the risk of spreading the virus.
Many media members asked why the governor was lifting the public order before Thanksgiving and while case counts and deaths seem to be on the rise. “We think it’s a bit of a stretch to say to people of Utah and our citizens, we’re going to tell you what you can do in your own home. That’s a challenge for government overreach. We certainly know that there are many people out there that think that is an overreach,” he responded.
“It doesn’t mean that the risk has been any less over that last two weeks. We’re asking people to voluntarily comply with good protocol… We’ve been trying to strive for that happy, optimal, middle part where we protect the health of the people and yet still have a heathy economy at the same time.”
Gov. Herbert also mentioned, “everyone is looking for the magic formula, the magic bullet to solve the problem. Unfortunately, I don’t think there is one. It’s how do we get through this challenging time with the health of our people and how do we in fact keep the economy functioning, if doesn’t it has its own set of problems. Nobody has the exact right answer.”
He then used the example of New York, which has completely shut down, thus damaging its economy while its mortality rate remains extremely high. He also mentioned North Dakota, which remained open, but has one of the highest infection rates in the world. Gov. Herbert reiterated that there is a balance to get that “optimal benefit” between staying healthy and economically proactive.
“We want to make sure people understand the facts, what the truth is, what they can do to protect themselves and their families, and then we would hope that they follow that good protocol.” He continued, “It’s really an individual responsibility for all of us to do the best we can. And if we’ll take that responsibility, I think we can have greater success. I’m hopeful that is what’ll happen.”