COVID-19 Restrictions and Information
Below is a simplified listing of all the various restrictions and guidelines due to COVID-19. Kane County continues to be under the Green Phase as discussed below. July marks the first known cases of COVID-19 in Kane County where people have contracted the illness from a known source in the county or from an unknown source in the county (community spread). We are currently seeing a growth of cases that appears mostly associated with family gatherings due to the summer holidays. It is critical for all of us to follow the general guidelines for staying home if you are sick, practicing social distancing in public, maintaining good hygiene practices, wearing a mask when social distancing is difficult and vigilantly protecting the high-risk population.
You can find specific federal guidelines for businesses and personal hygiene here.
The State of Utah has issued a long term plan to address the pandemic called Utah Leads Together. The newest addition, Utah Leads Together 4.0 builds on versions 1, 2 and 3, and includes details on a statewide economic recovery and revitalization plan. It can be found here. The plan includes a three phased approach beginning with the Urgent phase, then moving to the Stabilization phase (May through October), and then to the Recovery phase. There are also color coded levels of risk with specific social distancing guidelines for individuals and businesses by industry. Red is for High Risk, Orange is for Moderate Risk, Yellow is for Low Risk and Green is for New Normal Risk. A complete copy of these Phased Health Guidelines (currently version 4.9.0) can be found here. Our local health department, Southwest Utah Public Health Department, has a user friendly site to view the guidelines which you can access here.
Kane County has transitioned to the Green (New Normal Risk) Phase. Many other rural counties are Green and most of the rest of the State is currently under the Yellow (Low-Risk) Phase. Salt Lake City is still in the Orange (Moderate-Risk) Phase. A summary of Green guidelines for the General Public is set forth further below. All of these guidelines are legally enforceable under the law other than the requirement for the general public to wear face coverings. For the guidelines that apply to employers, please review the Phased Health Guidelines for your specific industry. Under Green, all industries are allowed to open with social distancing restrictions in place However, high risk individuals should continue to take extreme precautions.
• General public follows current federal and local public health precautions, which include:
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Use hand sanitizer frequently
• Avoid touching your face
• Cover coughs or sneezes (e.g. into a tissue, sleeve, or elbow; not hands)
• Avoid handshaking or unnecessary physical contact
• Give sick family members their own room if possible and keep the door closed
• Have only one family member care for the sick individual
• Stay home if you have symptoms of COVID-19 (fever of 100.4 or above, cough, trouble breathing, sore throat, sudden change in taste or smell, and muscle aches or pains)
• Use of face coverings in business and social settings is encouraged when physical distancing is not feasible
All business are open and provided with best practices instead of any specific restrictions. Please refer to the Phased Health Guidelines for these details.
Under the Green or New Normal Risk Phase, although there are very few restrictions imposed, it is important to remember that we cannot return to business as usual. Social distancing and other good hygiene practices are still strongly encouraged. Instead of having strict mandates to ensure continued safety of our community, each of us as individuals need to govern our own actions to help keep all of us safe.
The State Department of Health recommends that healthcare providers and testing sites test ALL individuals with any symptom of COVID-19 no matter how mild. The symptoms are fever of 100.4 or above, cough, trouble breathing, sore throat, sudden change in taste or smell, and muscle aches or pains. You can find the nearest testing center here. The Kane County Hospital is our local location for collecting samples that are then processed by ARUP. You should call the hospital first to determine if you should be tested and how to proceed with testing. 435-644-5811. Click here for more information from Kane County Hospital.
For other up to date information regarding the state of the pandemic in Utah please visit coronavirus.utah.gov.
Kane County has implemented a COVID-19 Operational Plan, which can be found here. The plan places restrictions in place based on the Governor’s color designations. Under Green or new normal risk, all county facilities are open other than the Senior Center which will continue to operate through expanded in-home services and the Public Safety Facility which will continue to have strict measures in place to protect jail staff and jail inmates. The public is encourage to make appointments and to access services by phone or email. You may call (435)644-4900 or go to kane.utah.gov for information on accessing Kane County services.
The Kaneplex, Kanab Center, North Event Center, and Emergency Management Building (formerly Search and Rescue Building) will be open for events as long as the state phased guidelines can be followed and enforced by the event organizer.
School in Kane County is scheduled to be open for all in-person learning this fall. Parents will also have the option to request blended (partial in-person/partial online) and online learning (100% online). Under the plan, our schools will mitigate the risk and spread of COVID-19 by encouraging social distancing, encouraging proper hand hygiene, sanitizing high touch areas regularly, requiring the use of face coverings where necessary, adjusting the flow of hallways, spacing students six feet apart in classrooms and common areas, and other measures. You can find a copy of the Kane District School Reopening Plan here.
Face coverings will be required to be worn at school with a few exceptions including during recess or other outdoor activities, while eating, for children under the age of three, and for children with medical conditions or disabilities. You can find the State Department of Health Order regarding masks at school here.
Click here for the statewide guidelines for schools this fall. A previous version allowed for an in-school modified quarantine if a student was exposed to COVID-19 but had no symptoms. This updated document has removed this option. If any student or teacher has an exposure to COVID-19 they will be required to quarantine at home for fourteen days and will not be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities in person. Whether a person has been exposed to COVID-19 is determined by the local health department. In general you are considered to have been exposed if you are within six feet of a person that has tested positive for COVID-19 for more than fifteen minutes.
The City Office is now open and also available by phone at 435-644-2534 or online at kanab.utah.gov. The police station is closed to the public. If there is an emergency call 911 or if you need to speak to an officer call 435-644-5807. The Library is open with safety precautions in place.
Kanab City Baseball Fields, Skate Park, Tennis Courts, Outdoor Basketball Courts, Jacob Hamblin Park and Ranchos Park are now open with social distancing guidelines in place.
The Swimming Pool is open. Restrooms are open but the dressing rooms are closed. All necessary steps are being taken to comply with state and local restrictions.
Orderville town office is open but can also be accessed over the phone at (435)648-2534 or online at www.townoforderville.com.
Glendale town facilities are open to the public but can also be accessed over the phone at (435)648-2341 or online at http://www.welcometoglendaleut.com/.
Big Water offices and facilities remain closed but can be accessed over the phone 675-3760.
Fredonia town facilities are on a soft closure. The Library, Senior Center and Town Office are closed to the public but are available by phone or email. Payments are still processed either on-line at www.fredoniaaz.net, by phone at 928-643-7241, or by dropping payments in the night depository. Phone calls are handled in the office as well. The Marshal’s Office is closed to the public, but can be reached by phone at 928-643-7241, in the event of an emergency, please call 911. The Library continues to handle incoming calls at 928-643-7137 and the Senior Center continues to deliver meals. You can reach the Senior Center at 928-643-7278. Public Works is continuing to handle daily tasks, while maintaining social distancing requirements. There has been no and will continue to be no interruption in services provided, barring any unforeseen acts of nature or circumstances beyond control of the department. Town facilities closed include the park playground equipment, pool and restroom facilities at the park. The open spaces at the park remain open, and shall remain open as long as social distancing requirements are maintained. Care & Share continues to operate, making sure residents who are in need are receiving food. They have modified the operation to a drive-thru contactless service, however it continues to run smoothly. A more complete listing of Fredonia and other Arizona restriction click here. Arizona State restrictions remain in place.
Lake Powell/Glen Canyon National Recreation Area – Click here for detailed information.
Zion National Park is open for Day Use recreational access to select areas within the park. Shuttles are operating with social distancing measures in place. A reservation is required in advance. Click here for more information on the shuttles and to reserve a ticket. Before visiting, you can check for updates here.
Bryce Canyon National Park is undergoing a phased reopening with many services open. You can find more information here.
The North Rim is open for day use. The Grand Canyon Lodge is open for overnight use. You can find more information here.
Individuals are strongly encouraged to maintain social distancing guidelines and to adhere to standard safety precautions to prevent injuries while recreating on public lands.
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