KUER
Utah health officials have scrapped a requirement for colleges and universities to test their students every two weeks, mainly because there aren’t enough tests. This story and more in the Friday morning news brief.
Friday morning, December 18, 2020
State
Protections For People With Disabilities And Preexisting Conditions
As hospitals in Utah are nearing capacity, there may come a time when doctors have to choose which patients receive care. But lawyers with the Disability Law Center say those decisions which are based on the state’s crisis standards of care plan can’t prioritize patients based on race, age or if they have a disability or pre-existing condition. In an information session Thursday, they also said patients have a right to know where they fall on the priority list and how doctors made their decision.If a patient thinks they were discriminated against, they can file an appeal with hospital staff or the department of health. They can also call the Disa
Flickr
The decision to change the name of Dixie State University is up to the Utah Legislature.
The decision to rename Dixie State University is now in the hands of the state legislature, since the Utah Board of Higher Education and DSU Board of Trustees have unanimously recommended removing “Dixie” which has ties to the confederacy.
The board of trustees at the school voted Monday to remove the name and the board of higher education followed suit Friday morning.
Lisa-Michele Church sits on the board of higher education and is a former DSU trustee. She said it was a difficult decision for her to come to since she’s from St. George and has strong ties to the university.
Mountain West News Bureau
Enrollment in avalanche education courses seems to be at an all-time high across the Mountain West region. This story and more in the Tuesday morning news brief.
Tuesday morning, December 15, 2020
State
Limiting State Power For A Vaccine Mandate
Utah Rep. Robert Spendlove, R-Sandy, is planning to introduce a bill that would prohibit the state government from mandating a COVID-19 vaccine for the general public, though Gov.-elect Spencer Cox has said he would not create such a rule. The bill would, however, allow private businesses to require vaccinations. Cox said he supports the bill in concept because it “seems like an appropriate balance.” Lawmakers are still discussing, though, whether to require vaccines in universities and K-12 schools, according to Spendlove. Read the full story.