San Juan County Declares Public Health Emergency, Libraries to Close

Update on Friday, March 20, 2020: Libraries in Bluff and Montezuma Creek are now closed.

Note: San Juan County Commission Chairman Kenneth Maryboy released the following update on Monday, March 15, 2020.

San Juan County has taken a proactive measure by declaring a Public Health State of Emergency. This preventive move is intended to protect vulnerable populations in our community, such as the elderly and persons with underlying health conditions.

County essential services continue to remain open to the public including our offices and operating hours. We have cancelled our larger County meetings for the immediate time being. However, we strongly encourage the public to avoid coming to the offices in person unless the visit is critical and time sensitive.

We have activated our Emergency Essential Services forming a County Task Force to help communicate and remain vigilant in our County’s preparation and efforts. In time, we will also be declaring a County Emergency as needs in our preparation increases. Updated messages will continue to be provided on our social media sources through Facebook #sanjuanutah and our website.

Senior Services will continue at Senior Centers where food distribution will continue to take place following each Center’s regular weekly schedule. If you are a senior in need, please contact your local Senior Center.

Our County Libraries continue to remain open, if we see an increase in usage or mass assemblies due to school closures, we may have to close those in an effort to limit exposure. Storytime, craftclub, tweens, mommy and me will all be canceled for the time being.

The immediate health risk from COVID-19 to the general public remains low.

There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in San Juan County at this time.

We can all contribute to a healthy community, by practicing social distancing, by limiting our interactions and reduce the spread rate of this virus through these practices which will prevent us from overwhelming our health system if our citizens are infected. We appreciate the efforts by our School District and Religious Affiliations in practicing and encouraging social distancing. We encourage our businesses throughout the County to continue safe and healthy practices to protect citizens. As restaurants are required to be closed to open area seating services, we encourage citizens to utilize take-out services from them.

We appreciate all of our citizens and the efforts you are already making to help in these efforts. The County will continue to work on mitigation efforts to assist you during these times. Please continue to be mindful of one another, help watch out for the elderly and those who stand in need and most of all do not panic.

In the words of Lieutenant Governor Cox: “I want to be very clear, we’re not making these decisions today because things are really bad, we’re making these decisions today to make sure that things don’t get really bad.”

Please be wary of rumors related to COVID-19 circulating on social media. People should be skeptical of rumors they hear on social media that aren’t being reported by reputable health organizations or mainstream media outlets. Please do not share or repost items unless you are able to confirm that they are true.

False and inaccurate social media posts can cause a great deal of harm. By following the recommended precautions now, we can all help as a community slow the rate of spread as well as potentially avoid overwhelming our health system.
What the public should know to protect themselves:
— Wash your hands and don’t touch your face.
— Stay home if you are sick.
— Limit large gatherings or social events to 20 or fewer people.
— Persons who are immunocompromised or older than 60 years should avoid gatherings or social events of more than 10 people.
— If you think you may have COVID-19, follow the recommendations of State and County Health departments; call the Utah Coronavirus Information Line at 1-800-456-7707, or visit coronavirus.utah.gov or cdc.gov/coronavirus.

If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider for medical advice and isolate yourself from others. It is important that you call your healthcare provider for instructions.
• Guidance for Monitoring Your Health – https://coronavirus.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/Active-Monitoring-Social-Distancing_Pt-Instructions_031120.pdf
• San Juan School District schools are closed until March 27
• COVID-19 Guidance for Long-term Care Facilities in Utah – https://coronavirus.utah.gov/wp_content/uploads/COVID-19_LTCF_Guidance.pdf

The County will continue to update the public on changes as we receive them. If you need assistance, please feel free to call us at (435) 587-3225