Utah Gov. Cox to join White House on coronavirus conference call

May 11, 2021, 8:22 AM | Updated: 8:22 am

FILE -- Gov. Spencer Cox speaks during the PBS Utah Governor’s Monthly News Conference at the Eccles Broadcast Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, April 15, 2021. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

BY MARY RICHARDS

Former Reporter

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox will meet virtually with President Biden and the White House on Tuesday to talk about our state’s vaccination progress.

The president wants to know how certain states are doing, and invited the governors of six states on the call: Massachusetts, Ohio, New Mexico, Maine, Minnesota and Utah.

Some of them have vaccinated more than 50 percent of the eligible population with at least one dose. In Utah we have more than a million people fully vaccinated, which is about 44 percent of the eligible population.

Governors of all fifty states have been holding weekly conference calls on Tuesdays since last year to talk about the national response. But reports say when President Biden took over in January, he did not join those.

For Tuesday’s virtual meeting, the president has asked Gov. Cox to share some of Utah’s best practices.

Utah’s governor is expected to talk about how our state has more walk-in availability now, and mobile and pop-up clinics to get to hard-to-reach populations. The state recently announced it will bring a vaccine clinic to any group, school, business or church.

Utah also has the “Get Back” campaign, highlighting the ways people can get back to normal by getting vaccinated.

ABC White House correspondent Karen Travers told KSL NewsRadio on Tuesday morning that now there is a new urgency with demand dwindling.

“Two key things: Access and messaging. They want to make it easy for people to get the shot, but also to find the people who are hesitant,” said Travers.

She says the White House picked these six governors, including Cox, from different political parties and different approaches.

“You don’t want to bring the top six in, to say how is it working there, because that might not work for the bottom six. You want a mix. And The White House says the president wants to hear what didn’t work, either,” she said.

USA Today says some states are using financial incentives to get people to seek out the vaccine. Others are offering to waive fees for fishing and hunting licenses or state parks entrances.

President Biden set a goal to have 70% of Americans with at least one dose by July 4. He has been appearing on virtual conference calls wearing a mask, even though he is fully vaccinated.

How To Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 Coronavirus

COVID-19 coronaviruses transmitted from person to person. It is a virus that is similar to the common cold and the flu. So, to prevent it from spreading:

Wash hands frequently and thoroughly, with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds.
Wear a mask.
Don’t touch your face.
Keep children and those with compromised immune systems away from someone who is coughing or sneezing (in this instance, at least six feet)
If there is an outbreak near you, practice social distancing (stay at home, instead of going to the movies, sports events, or other activities.)
Get a flu shot.
Get vaccinated.