When will pandemic be over in Utah? Lawmaker wants to specify end in state law

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A Utah lawmaker is trying to define when the state will hit herd immunity for the coronavirus, allowing the lifting of restrictions such as mask wearing and limitations on businesses.

House Bill 294, sponsored by Rep. Paul Ray (R-Clearfield), would specify that after 1.7 million Utahns receive either the first dose of the vaccine or recover from COVID-19, the state’s public health emergency powers would be terminated.

I think people need to know that there’s a point that we can open up our businesses and get rid of the mask mandate,” Ray said. “Everybody’s always welcome to wear a mask if they want to, but these mandates will go away at that herd immunity point, which still probably puts us in early summer before that happens.”

2News asked Ray — who had COVID-19 late last year — if he was rushing or at all premature in his effort to define the end of the pandemic in Utah.

“No, I’m not,” said Ray. “Because, I mean, the recommendation from the Health Department is 1.6 million. I’m going 100,000 people over that.”

That is roughly the number of adults the Utah Department of Health has said should receive the vaccine to bring the virus under control. But the department has also said a person isn’t fully immunized until they get two doses of the vaccine, not just one.

As of Tuesday, more than 69,000 people in Utah had received two doses. More than 325,000 people in the state are considered recovered from COVID-19.

2News asked if Utah Gov. Spencer Cox would support Ray’s bill. His spokeswoman would only say, “We are continuing to work with the Legislature to find the best policy on this issue.”

When asked if this definition of herd immunity needs to be in state statute, Ray said it’s the best way for him to go about it.

“It doesn’t have to be in law, but nobody’s put it on the table yet,” he said. “I’m a legislator. The only way that I have to go is to put it in law.”

While Ray is looking to be specific about Utah’s herd immunity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is much less so.

“Experts do not yet know what percentage of people would need to get vaccinated to achieve herd immunity to COVID-19,” the CDC website said. “The percentage of people who need to have protection in order to achieve herd immunity varies by disease. CDC and other experts are studying herd immunity and will provide more information as it is available.”

Ray’s bill just became public Tuesday afternoon and has not yet been scheduled for a House committee hearing.

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