March 14, 2020

SLCoHD Announces Nine Additional COVID-19 Cases in Salt Lake County

(SALT LAKE COUNTY)—Salt Lake County Health Department (SLCoHD) today announced that an additional nine county residents have COVID-19. Salt Lake County now has 14 total cases of COVID-19. All new cases are linked to travel or household contact with another confirmed case; SLCoHD doesn’t believe any of the cases are a result of local transmission in Salt Lake County.  

Of those 14 cases, 11 are adults over the age of 18 and 3 are children. Two of the infected children attended school while symptomatic; the schools potentially affected are Hunter High School in West Valley City and Entheos Academy, a charter school with campuses in Magna and Kearns.

Due to medical privacy laws, SLCoHD will not release further information about individual confirmed cases.

Both the Hunter High School and Entheos Academy school communities have been notified of the potential exposure. SLCoHD has instructed students and staff of both schools to quarantine at home until March 27, 2020 and monitor themselves for symptoms throughout that time. Symptoms of COVID-19 include cough, fever over 100° F, and shortness of breath.

Quarantine at home means the students and staff of those schools should not leave home for ANY reason, except when advised by their health care provider to seek medical care in person. They should not go to work, school, or any public place, including stores, malls, theatres, restaurants, or any other retail establishment. They should also not visit family or friends or have any visitors at home.

SLCoHD has also recommended that these potentially affected households clean frequently touched surfaces in their homes every day; this includes counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables.

If a potentially affected household notices symptoms in anyone in their home, they should isolate the ill person away from other members of the household and contact a health care provider via telephone or a telemedicine app. Do not seek medical care in person without first contacting the medical facility in advance to receive instructions.

Most people infected with COVID-19 experience only mild illness. People over the age of 60 and those with other health concerns are more likely to develop serious illness.

If you have questions about COVID-19, contact the Utah COVID-19 Information Line at 1-800-456-7707. You may also visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at cdc.gov/covid19 or the State of Utah COVID-19 website at coronavirus.utah.gov.