Summit County, Utah (March 24, 2020) — To underline the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic to all county residents, the Summit County Health Department confirms multiple positive cases of the virus in both the North and South Summit areas of the county.

“There is a misconception that COVID-19 is only in the greater Park City area and this simply isn’t the case,” Dr. Rich Bullough, Summit County Health Director, said. “For days, we have encouraged residents across the county to assume the same level of caution. Not only are all areas of the county at the same level of risk, but every resident should assume that they have already been exposed to COVID-19. Now is not the time to let down your guard.”

Summit County’s first positive case of COVID-19 was on March 11. The first positive case of community spread was announced on March 14. Community spread means spread of an illness for which the source of infection is unknown. In the Summit County case, the patient had no history of travel and no known contact with any person who has been confirmed to have COVID-19. In the two weeks since the number of cases has continued to rise and was at 73 as of March 23. Dr. Bullough does not expect the case number growth to slow anytime in the near future.

“Due to insufficient tests available nation-wide, it is safe to assume that we have several times that number of cases in Summit County,” Bullough said. “We are in this for the long haul.”

In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, Summit County Government and its Health Department have enacted a series of emergency declarations and public health orders limiting food service, prohibiting gatherings of more than ten and other preventive measures.

“This pandemic will not cure itself overnight, or over the course of a month,” said Summit County Council Chair, Doug Clyde. “We ask the public to aid us in our fight against the spread of COVID-19 by complying with these Health Orders to their fullest extent. These efforts require diligence and patience from every group in every community in Summit County. One person who thinks the rules don’t apply to them can endanger our vulnerable population and drastically set back our efforts with their irresponsible actions.”

Visit summitcountyhealth.org/coronavirus for Summit County-specific information on COVID-19. At this website, the public can also find Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and community resources that are updated regularly as the pandemic situation evolves.

To learn more about COVID-19, visit coronavirus.utah.gov or call (800) 456-7707.