Utah sent every phone in the state an emergency alert warning about rapidly rising Covid-19 cases an

[UpInArms]

Source: CNN

(CNN)The alarming alert was sent to everyone in Utah who had a phone capable of receiving one: the state has reached a record number of Covid-19 cases, and it was time to get serious.

"State of Utah: COVID-19 is spreading rapidly. Record cases. Almost every county is a high transmission area. Hospitals are nearly overwhelmed," read the alert. "By public health order, masks are required in high transmission areas. Social gatherings are limited to 10 or fewer."

"Be careful!" it warned, alongside a link containing more information about the ever-worsening coronavirus surge.

The messages were sent beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday and remained active for 15 minutes.



Typically used for severe weather and AMBER Alerts, state and local officials are increasingly deploying these Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to warn of Covid-19 spikes as well. Through late September, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), local officials had sent the public than 400 such alerts.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/30/us/utah-emergency-alert-covid-19-trnd/index.html

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Full title: Utah sent every phone in the state an emergency alert warning about rapidly rising Covid-19 cases and overwhelmed hospitals

[soothsayer]

1. Good use of this

Scary times

[Iliyah]

2. And yet . ....

they will vote - t-rump.

[chillfactor]

3. New Mexico

sent out the same alert. And here I am in the hospital with Covid19. SUCKS!

[UpInArms]

6. Please get better

You are now officially on my worry list

(((((((((hugs))))))))))

[Wicked Blue]

8. Wishing you healing

Get well soon!

[flibbitygiblets]

10. Oh no. I am so sorry to hear. Please get well soon!

[BadgerMom]

11. I came to say this. But, also, I wish you peace and a return to health.

[TheFarseer]

4. Wonder if

This is part of the reason Utah basketball dropped out of the Battle for Atlantis in South Dakota today?

[MissB]

5. Good.

There are quite a few states that need to do that.

[pat_k]

14. Here's the list with higher per capita hospitalized than Utah

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100214388929

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Good.

This was the old "Emergency Broadcast System" (now "Emergency Alert System" ) and this country is literally in a "Health Emergency". There are many many people who are tuning out or trying to tune out what is going on around them and carrying on like nothing is happening. Many of them DO have cell phones nowadays so what better way to drive the point home?

And looking at the OP article, they even say that -

[snip]

"Despite the ongoing pandemic, there are a number of people who are not aware of the dire situation we find ourselves in," state officials said. "As a result, the emergency alert was an effort to "make sure nearly everyone is aware of the serious nature of the pandemic."

https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/30/us/utah-emergency-alert-covid-19-trnd/index.html

The article goes on to say this --

The state reported a record 2,281 new Covid-19 cases Friday, according to state data. Previously, its record high was 1,989 cases on October 22. Furthermore, its 7-day case average now sits at a record of 1,621.7 cases, and its percentage of positive tests is at a record 18.17% as of Friday. All of these barometers are steadily climbing.

Today, PA reported 2,641 cases, which is also a record for us, and we have just over 4 times the population of Utah.

[yankee87]

9. Mormonism

Even though they believe in magic underwear, at least they are not willing to sacrifice their lives for drumpf.

[Missn-Hitch]

12. It looks like they are and, most likely, will continue to do so.

[colorado_ufo]

13. I was actually on an online training when this call came in to the instructor's cell phone.

It sounded just like an Amber Alert. She paused the training to check it and told us all what it was!

Very impressive. I immediately downloaded the Colorado app for contact tracing to my phone.

[canetoad]

16. Emergency message is a good start

But, it doesn't go nearly far enough.

Masks - should not just be required in high transmission areas, but every time someone leaves their home, for whatever reason.

Social gatherings of 10 people allowed - an absolute disaster for contact tracing.

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I'm coming out of NO VISITORS TO HOME, masked outside home, pubs, restaurants shut and everything else curtailed.

And believe it or not, I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't live in the city. Those people had 9pm - 5am curfew; 5 km travel limit and god knows what else.

Thanks to the strict lockdowns we have endured all winter, our state (Vic, Au.) is starting to open up again with only a handful of hospitalised cases. Utah's message looks good, but the way Covid is in the US, it's barely useful.