SALT LAKE CITY — For the first time, adults traveling through the Beehive State are being asked to declare their health status as a way to track the potential spread of the coronavirus.
This week, Gov. Gary Herbert issued an executive order to deploy targeted wireless emergency alerts on certain highways that cross state borders into Utah, along with air travelers. The electronic alert instructs drivers to complete a declaration survey available at entry.utah.gov.
The online form must be submitted by every person 18 years of age and older who enters Utah. An electronic State of Utah Travel Declaration Form is required to be completed within three hours of entry, according to the website. The declaration informs individuals of the state’s current COVID-19 related restrictions and explains information that will be used by the Utah Department of Health to help track and trace potential coronavirus infections that could arise from people entering the state from U.S. or international travel.
According to the state Division of Emergency Management, the alert will be sent to motorists crossing the border into Utah. Alerts became active on Friday and will remain active through May 1.
The Utah Department of Transportation is collecting the data which will be securely transferred to the state Health Department, explained UDOT spokesman John Gleason. The data submitted helps the state’s efforts to trace and mitigate the disease, he said.
It also makes it possible to inform travelers about statewide public orders and to isolate incidents, as well as notify those who may be affected, he said.
“It’s an effort to have those people that are coming in on the nine designated highway routes,” he said. “These are the major access points for the state of Utah that see a good deal of traffic.”
The new policy is an effort to maintain awareness of people in Utah who might be at risk for spreading COVID-19, he said. Passengers traveling into Salt Lake City International Airport will also be directed to complete the same survey before leaving the airport.
“Basically, what they’re doing is handing out these cards that have a QR code on it, or link to a website so people can go in and fill out the information on where they’ve been traveling and their exposure,” explained Nancy Volmer, communications director for Salt Lake City International Airport.
“So in both Terminal 1 and 2, there is a lane with the TSA officers sitting. ... It’s just right outside of (the security checkpoint). (UDOT has) got a couple of tables set up and then if we have any international flights, they’ll go over and just be in that international terminal area where people exit customs.”
She said the coronavirus crisis has had a major impact on the volume of people using air travel, so the number of people affected by the new order will be much less than it would normally.
“We’re down about 90%. Typically, this time of the year, we probably see about 20,000 to 23,000 people going through security every day, and it’s under 2,000 today,” she said.
The reduced travel volume is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, she added.
Meanwhile, UDOT said that the alert system is designed to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from getting any worse in Utah. Gleason said if someone has symptoms that should be followed up on, health officials can make contact, which improves efficiency and allows a more rapid response to potential patients.
“These are extraordinary times. It calls for extraordinary measures,” Gleason said. “We’re in the middle of an emergency medical crisis that’s affecting millions of people across the globe, so our goal here is to save lives and keep people safe.”