Utah Declares State of Emergency, Masks Now Required in the State
Utah Governor Gary Herbert testifies before the House Energy Committee about the impact of the health care reform act on states during a hearing on Capitol Hill March 1, 2011 in Washington, DC. Utah started running their own version of health insurance exchanges in 2007, before national health care reform was enacted. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has declared a state of emergency and ordered a mask mandate for all residents until further notice.

This after Utah was faced with more than 2,000 fresh daily cases of COVID-19, adding that state hospitals are at capacity.

Herbert announced the new measures on Sunday night in a video statement.

The Utah governor pleaded all state residents to do everything they can to stop the further spread of the disease.

The government added new restrictions aside from the mask mandate that he imposed on state's residents.

These new restrictions include banning people from hosting social gatherings with individuals other than those living in their households for the next two weeks.

The governor also included that expansion of the state's testing operation, as well as suspending all high school and club sporting events and other extracurricular activities for the next two weeks.

Intercollegiate sports are also exempt, according to an ABC News report.

Mask Mandate

With the implementation of mask orders, businesses in the state will be required to make their employees wear mask and encourage customers to do the same.

Those who refused to follow will be fined from the state's labor commission.

"Masks do not negatively affect our economy, and wearing them is the easiest way to slow the spread of the virus," Herbert was quoted in a report.

Herbert did not seek for a reelection after serving two terms and is set to leave the office in Jan.4.

The Utah governor also cautioned anyone caught sponsoring or organizing an event, which will be a violation to his social distancing orders.

Anyone who will violate the said orders will be prosecuted and could be fined up to $10,000 per occurrence.

Herbert advised the public that everyone must remain vigilant until a vaccine is widely available.

He added that they cannot wait upon a vaccine, knowing the destruction this pandemic will bring on families and communities.

"We must do more and we must do it now," Herbert was quoted.

COVID-19 Testing

College students will be required to take COVID-19 tests.

The testing will apply on students living on campus or who take at least one on-campus class per week, according to a KUTV report.

A spokesperson for the University of Utah, Chris Nelson, said that the testing, particularly a-symptomatic testing is going to be another tool to help the state reduce the spread.

Reports said that the testing is intended to start as soon as possible, but no later than next year.

Nelson said the logistics and implementation of the said testing are still being worked out.

Nelson said that with students they need to know who is in their social bubble and what rules they are going to put in place.

He added that next week the university will also be offering COVID-19 testing to all of their 32,000 students before letting students go home for Thanksgiving.

The Utah State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Sydnee Dickson, said the COVID-19 spread they are seeing is happening outside of the classroom.

Dickson said that Utah High School Activities Association will oversee the testing.