Utah Governor Gary Herbert has declared a state of emergency and implemented a set of guidelines, including a mask mandate, as COVID-19 infections surge.
The state has seen more than 2,000 news cases per day for the last week and Greg Bell, president and CEO of the Utah Hospital Association said the situation is "unsustainable."
"We've long been urging the governor to make the wearing of masks mandatory. That's been done more on a local level and hasn't hitherto been needed in rural areas, but right now, we're in it deep and we have to have some intervention," Bell told Cheddar.
While mask wearing has become a political debate, particularly in Republican-led states, Bell said Utah's legislative leadership has been "by-and-large on board."
"We're seeing two-thirds of the state or more saying 'Look it's time we got absolutely serious about this.' It can't just be a few of us. It's got to be all of us, or it's not going to make a difference," he continued.
As the number of hospitalizations in Utah continues to rise, a very real concern for many patients — and those on the fence about admitting themselves to a hospital — are the growing costs of healthcare and emergency room visits.
Yesterday's U.S. Supreme Court hearing seemed to suggest it is likely to allow the Affordable Care Act to continue to exist, even without the controversial individual mandate. However, many still question why healthcare is so expensive.
President Trump, through executive order, required medical price transparency and recently finalized a rule that requires insurance companies to disclose healthcare price points so patients can make more informed decisions before seeking medical care.
Bell and the Utah Hospital Association are fighting against that executive order, which is set to begin rolling out January 1, 2021.
"Hospital pricing is way too complex. In a way it's indefensible, but it's also a system that's been foisted on us by the federal government and the insurance companies," he told Cheddar.
April's release of the monthly Housing Starts and Building Permits reports by the Census Bureau provides crucial insights into the construction activity in the housing market. These reports are an economic indicator, shedding light on the current state of the housing market and its broader economic impact.
Caitlin Clark is heading to the Indiana Fever, the number one draft pick and the highest-scoring college basketball player of all time. And while she may not be getting millions from the WNBA, there's a few ways she'll net compensation for her generational talents.
Author of 'Clean Meat,' Paul Shapiro joins Cheddar to discuss how the cellular agricultural revolution helps lower rates of foodborne illness and greatly improves environmental sustainability. Plus, how his company The Better Meat Co. is bringing healthier food options to the table.
Recent headlines might make it sound like World War III is imminent, but when it comes to your finances, it's not the time to panic. The market is coming off its longest winning streak since 2011.
You may have noticed fewer new venture capital-backed startups (like Airbnb or Uber) lately. The market slowed to a crawl after 2021, but things are expected to take off again in 2025.
Corporate earnings season is underway, that time when companies share their billions in sales or double-digit profits. But the data shows even companies are struggling with high inflation and interest rates.
Boeing continues their terrifying trend of having their planes fall apart mid-flight, inflation — checks notes — is still up and the future of AI looks terrifying. Cheery!
Food waste – uneaten scraps or leftovers sent to landfills – is responsible for 10% of global emissions. Mill, a new product from the co-founder of Nest, thinks technology can play a role in eliminating it.
By the time the 2024 election is over, be prepared to see some form of a recession – but this shouldn’t be as bad as what we experienced in 2020 or 2008.
