As Coronavirus deaths increase, Utah officials started using an emergency alert system over the weekend to send text messages to drivers entering the state, asking them to report any virus symptoms and a recent travel history.
The state declared truck drivers exempt from the system. Hundreds of thousands of truckers enter the state each day carrying essential supplies for grocery stores and medical facilities. Truckers were still expected to receive the message and there were no immediate plans to change the wording on the form to list the exemptions, which also included police, border residents, and airline personnel and passengers.
The program went into effect as the number of Coronavirus deaths in Utah rose by four, to 17. The total number of virus cases had topped 2,000 in Utah as of Friday.
Utah officials say they aren’t punishing people who don’t fill out the online form.
