State health department takes over oversight of TestUtah COVID-19 testing

A sign and orange cones direct participants to the Red Cliffs Mall drive-thru COVID-19 test site, St. George, Utah, April 22, 2020 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News

SALT LAKE CITY — TestUtah.com, which was launched as an effort by Silicon Slopes companies to help battle COVID-19 and then became the subject of controversy surrounding no-bid contracts, has been tweaked and is under different oversight.

Volunteers at the Red Cliffs Mall testing site stand ready to test participants for COVID-19, St. George, Utah, April 22, 2020 | Photo by Hollie Reina, St. George News

Fox13Now.com reports Utah’s Department of Health now has oversight of it and has signed new vendor contracts for lab and sample collection work. Those contracts, which were provided to FOX 13, were awarded through a public bid process, the agency said.

TestUtah runs the drive-thru coronavirus testing site behind Red Cliffs Mall in St. George.

TestUtah started as a symptom assessment website that partnered with hospitals in Utah County to get people tested for COVID-19. It was backed by Silicon Slopes Commons.

In related news, Governor Gary Herbert has extended his executive orders on COVID-19.

The governor’s office on Saturday published the orders, which continue existing health directives for how people should live with the coronavirus. It will now expire on Aug. 20 (and is likely to be extended again).

Read the full story here:  Fox13Now.com.

Written by BEN WINSLOW, Fox13Now.com.

COVID-19 information resources

St. George News has made every effort to ensure the information in this story is accurate at the time it was written. However, as the situation and science surrounding the coronavirus continues to evolve, it’s possible that some data has changed.

We invite you to check the resources below for up-to-date information and resources.

Southern Utah coronavirus count (as of August 8, 2020, seven-day average in parentheses)

Positive COVID-19 tests: 3,191 (35.9 new infections per day in seven days, falling)

  • Washington County: 2,491 (27.7 per day, falling)
  • Iron County: 556 (6.1 per day, falling)
  • Kane County: 60 (0.9 per day, steady)
  • Garfield County: 49 (0.4 per day, falling) 
  • Beaver County: 30 (0.4 per day, falling) 

Deaths: 25 (0.1 per day, steady)

  • Washington County: 20
  • Iron County: 2
  • Garfield County: 2
  • Kane County: 1

Hospitalized: 15 (steady)

Recovered: 2,503

Current Utah seven-day average (Goal of less than 500 by Aug. 1 ): 426 (falling)

Copyright 2019, KSTU. A Tribune broadcasting station

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