Utah to transition to ‘steady state’ model as omicron fades

By SAM METZ
Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah will soon join the growing list of states transitioning away from treating the pandemic as a public health crisis and shift to a policy focused on managing risk. Gov. Spencer Cox said Friday that Utah health officials would phase out mass testing sites and other emergency protocols at the end of March as the state moves toward what he called a “steady state” model. Deaths and hospitalization numbers in Utah have fallen since a mid-January spike. As the omicron variant-fueled surge subsides and hospital capacity concerns diminish, the state’s shift parallels actions planned in other places where officials are attempting to return to normalcy.