Utah disease specialist says now not the time to reduce alert level

Utah's top infectious disease specialist is telling state officials that now is not the time to reduce the state's COVID-19 risk level. 

Dr. Angela Dunn said yesterday that a spike in statewide coronavirus cases means it is too soon to move to the state's lowest risk level.  Dunn said the spike could mean that Utah is on the verge of the acceleration phase of the outbreak, when COVID-19 cases are expected to reach their highest point before starting to decline again. 

The governor is currently considering a request by a panel of state lawmakers to move the state to the green phase as early as this weekend.

Dunn says Utahns have the greatest responsibility when it comes to keeping COVID-19 from spreading as more of the state reopens.