Summit County’s COVID-19 curve appears to be flattening, officials say, but several local hot spots in multi-unit apartment complexes have prompted an increased testing push that encourages residents of nearly every major Park City neighborhood and much of the Snyderville Basin to seek testing.
Summit County Health Director Rich Bullough said the numbers of new cases appear to be lowering county-wide, and attributed that to community adherence to public health directives like the stay-at-home order and social distancing guidelines.
“I sure have my fingers crossed. The numbers have been down. It’s important to note, though, that our testing has been down, too,” Bullough said in an interview Friday. “This is still a moving target. … I do believe that the data are stabilizing so that we can have more faith in what they’re saying, and I think the trends are favorable.”
He stressed that the stay-at-home order is in effect until May 1 and indicated he expected it to be extended until around May 15, a date officials have identified as the time to slowly begin opening the local economy by relaxing restrictions.
Bullough’s comments came as the county, state and federal governments announced steps to begin to reopen local economies shuttered by public health orders and as the county Health Department announced an initiative, along with Intermountain Healthcare, to begin mobile testing in the county. It is targeted at hot spots in high-density, multi-unit apartment complexes near Park City High School and Kimball Junction.
Intermountain Healthcare is running the mobile testing sites using tests procured from the state by the county Health Department, Bullough said.
As of Friday, there were 311 confirmed cases in Summit County, resulting in 29 hospitalizations, according to data released by health officials. At least 242 patients had recovered as of Tuesday, the last date with recovery information available. Only seven new known cases were announced between Monday and Friday. There were 19 new cases in Summit County reported the week of April 9 to 16. The week before, from April 2 to April 9, more than four times that many people were diagnosed with COVID-19.
Statewide, 2,805 people were known to have contracted the virus, with 244 hospitalizations and 23 deaths.
While the local curve appears to be flattening, that data shows hot spots of increased case numbers at specific multi-unit apartment complexes. Bullough said the Health Department has advertised mobile testing to people living at the affected complexes — Aspen Villas, Iron Horse Park and Elk Meadows.
The first priority is to test people living at the complexes, Bullough said, even if those people do not have symptoms of the disease. Bullough said anyone living in a multi-unit, high-density building in those areas should seek testing. He added that, so far, there does not appear to be a hot spot among the tightly packed homes in Old Town.
Intermountain recommends anyone living within 2 miles of a hot spot get tested even if they don’t have symptoms of COVID-19, classifying those residents as part of the high-risk population. That includes all of the Prospector, Park Meadows and Old Town neighborhoods in addition to much of Deer Valley.
Bullough said there is another hot spot near the Elk Meadows apartment complex near Pinebrook. Using Intermountain’s recommendation to test those who live within 2 miles, that would include Jeremy Ranch, Pinebrook, Glenwild and the western part of Kimball Junction.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches and pains, decreased sense of taste and smell, a sore throat or diarrhea, according to the state epidemiologist and Intermountain Healthcare.
Bullough said the county secured 1,500 testing kits for the first round of mobile testing, and that he doubted all of the tests would be used because of the capacity of the mobile sites. He indicated more tests might be available from the state if needed to address the area’s hot spots.
Those considering seeking a test should call 844-442-5224 before heading to a testing site. Intermountain, along with University of Utah Health, maintains a drive-through testing site at the Park City Ice Arena open to those without a doctor’s order. Calling the hotline may reduce the amount of time it takes to go through the process.
According to an Intermountain press release, everyone who lives at the hot spots ages 2 and up should seek testing. The test is free and those seeking testing will be asked for identifying information when they call the hotline. They will not be required to produce a Social Security number or insurance information.