How much COVID-19 has cost Utah â so far
and last updated 2021-05-28 20:05:14-04
SALT LAKE CITY â A once-in-a-lifetime event like the COVID-19 pandemic isn t cheap.
Financial reports reviewed by FOX 13 show the extent of state spending to respond to the pandemic, as well as what has been calculated in terms of economic impact to taxpayers. To put a price tag on a pandemic? A global pandemic? Itâs money well spent for what we had to do, said Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Jess Anderson, who headed up the state s COVID-19 Unified Command. I couldnât be more proud of where Utah is in the response to all of this.
Deseret News
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Steve Griffin, Deseret News
Love, Listen, Lead: that’s the commitment that members of the Utah League of Cities and Towns and the Utah Chiefs of Police Association made last summer to ensure community trust in police. Our objective was to find the space where we supported our officers and identified areas to improve. The two groups, along with our state and local law enforcement colleagues, delivered on that commitment.
As a mayor and as a police chief, we know the pain of burying our officers who gave their lives in the line of duty. We thank them and their families for their service. We’ve heard from community members who want to contribute to improving public safety. We all share a desire for safe and welcoming communities.
When Jess Anderson pictured her first year as a Downtown Farmers’ Market vendor, it didn’t include customers in cars and face masks.
Instead of a sprawling, crowded bazaar on Des Moines city streets, the 45th season of the Downtown Farmers’ Market in 2020 was confined to a parking lot beside the Iowa Capitol, where customers drove up to vendors and picked up their products.
Despite the changes, the owner of Jess Desserts, which serves macarons and other sweet treats, took the modified season in stride. It was definitely a different experience, said Anderson, who started full-time with her business after being laid off during the coronavirus pandemic. It was nice to dip my toes in and get a better feel for the market, which helped me feel more confident for this year.
SALT LAKE CITY Gov. Spencer Cox on Tuesday unveiled his pick to be the state s leader over Utah s umbrella of homeless services an announcement that has been eagerly awaited by advocates since the passage of a new bill to restructure Utah s homeless services system.
Cox tapped a familiar face, former Utah Senate President Wayne Niederhauser, to serve as state homeless services coordinator, according to a news release from the governor s office issued Tuesday. During his legislative career, Wayne did not shy away from helping to solve some of the most complex and difficult issues facing the state, and he s proving that resolve again in accepting this key public service assignment, Cox said in a prepared statement. His leadership and ability to bring parties together will be crucial as we develop a coordinated approach to improving life for some of the most vulnerable among us.