Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has issued an executive order requiring drivers of both passenger and commercial vehicles to fill out a health-screening form when entering the state. The order, issued April 8, went into effect April 10 and is scheduled to end at 11:59 p.m. May 1.
“It is a significant step forward,” Herbert said, referring to the order at a press conference earlier this week. “Everybody has a responsibility to say, ‘I am part of the solution, not part of the problem.’ We implore the people of Utah to follow the directions we have issued, and we will get through this together.”
The state is using a targeted geofenced wireless emergency alert at major points of entry to the state to monitor interstate travel. The highway entry points include:
- Interstate 15 at the Arizona border;
- S. 89 north of Kanab;
- S. 491/191 at Monticello;
- Interstate 70 at the Colorado border;
- S. 40 at the Colorado border;
- Interstate 80 at the Wyoming border;
- Interstate 15 at the Idaho border;
- Interstate 84 at the Idaho border; and
- Interstate 80 at the Nevada border.
Travelers will be contacted via text message shortly after entering Utah and directed to fill out an online declaration related to COVID-19. State officials ask that all drivers pull to the side of the road while completing the online survey.
Questions on the form include:
- Entry location
- Full name
- Have you, or anyone in your party been tested for COVID-19 in the last 14 days?
- Are you, or anyone in your party currently experiencing any of the following symptoms: Cough, shortness of breath or fever?
- Are you a Utah resident, a visitor or a worker?
- Home Address
- Phone number
- Please list the specific places traveled within the previous 14 days.
- Are there additional people in your group?
Information gathered through the online forms will be stored in a secure environment with limited access and personal and health-related data will be transferred to the Utah Department of Health, according to information posted on the state’s COVID-19 information website.
The order requires that all travelers over age 18 complete the form within three hours of entering Utah, regardless of whether any stops are made within the state’s borders. There are currently no plans to stop motorists who do not complete the online form, but drivers are asked to follow the state’s laws and help stop the spread of COVID-19.
“These are extraordinary times, and Utah is taking extraordinary measures like using this technology (which we have never used in an instance like this before). There may be some kinks here and there, but it’s absolutely essential to help us stop the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19,” the website states.
For additional information and FAQs, click here.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
