State epidemiologist warns: Risk of COVID-19 spread in Utah is 'higher than ever'

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — The risk of COVID-19 spread in Utah is higher than ever. That’s according to the state’s top epidemiologist, Dr. Angela Dunn, who says Utah is at a "crossroads" in the fight against coronavirus, as this week saw several days of record spikes.

“We really need the public to understand that the situation is dire,” Dr. Dunn said.

As the week went on, case counts climbed, and mandatory masks became political. Dunn said pandemics don't care about opinions or political leanings.

“If we want our economy to thrive and we also want to protect the lives of Utahns, wearing face coverings can do that.”

Dunn knows reversing a trend once it gets too far out of hand takes a long time, and she says she’s concerned Utah is heading in the wrong direction. Since moving to the "yellow," low-risk phase, there's been a shift from more people spreading COVID-19 at home to people spreading it in the community.

“So that's why we're really pushing hard on the face masks, because that could be our potential to not only protect health, but allow our economy to open at the same time,” Dunn said.

The spike this week was statewide, and the percentage of people testing positive is now above 10%, which is what landed Utah on a quarantine list in three states.

Dunn said average case count has increased the most in 15- to 24-year-olds.

“Unfortunately, we're still in the first wave of the Utah outbreak.”

Dunn is ready to recommend moving back a phase next week if case counts don't come down to about 200 a day, a level she calls "manageable."

“We are at a crossroads here in Utah, however, each and every one of us is part of the solution, so I urge each and every one of us to take this seriously.”

Months after paying $6 million for the Healthy Together App, it is now fully functional to contact trace, which is one of the most effective tools Dunn says we have to fight the novel coronavirus.

You can watch Jim Spiewak's full interview with Dr. Dunn below.

Spiewak's audio was not recorded, but you can use this list of questions and topics to better understand the course of the interview:

• What was your reaction when you saw today’s high case count?
• How do you get decision-makers to take serious the data you provide them?
• How do you emphasize importance of mask wearing? What do you say about some who say wearing mask is violation of rights?
• What does data show you now about spikes? Is spread more in the home or more in the community?
• Your take on face masks becoming a buzz word this week?
• How does Utah stack up to other states in terms of doing things well or not well? What would it take in terms of case counts to recommend moving state back a phase? She mentioned July 1st seeing 200 case average for not recommending moving back a phase – what’s behind that target date?
• What’s the weight on you to make tough recommendations?
• What age groups are spiking right now?
• Is the Healthy Together App fully functional to contact trace?
• What can we do differently that we haven’t been doing?
• Is there enough capacity to test anyone who needs to be tested?
• What metric do you consider most important? Overall positive rate? Death rate? Hospitalization rate?? Where does Utah’s positivity rate compare to the national average?
• Are we still in the initial infection wave or are we in a second wave?
• Should we expect to live in a world with COVID-19 for a long time to come?
• What do you tell Utahns about what we saw this week?