Health Care

Five county residents diagnosed with COVID-19

Five San Juan County residents have been diagnosed with the COVID-19 coronavirus, with four cases resident in the county and a fifth of a county resident on the Wasatch Front. The individuals include a male under the age of 60 and a male under the age of 40. More than 125 confirmed cases of the...

Bluff Council votes to restrict lodging, restaurants

The Town of Bluff has voted to restrict all but “essential service” businesses, and the deemed the only “essential service” to be the K&C Trading Post. The decision was made with a unanimous vote of the Bluff Town Council on March 25. The restrictions include short term rentals, such as motels...

Despite no reported cases, COVID-19 virus impacts the county

The impact of the worldwide pandemic triggered by the COVID-19 virus continues to hit very close to home, even though there are no known cases of the virus in San Juan County as of the March 24 newspaper deadline. Public health officials have outlined a series of steps to deal with the possible...

County-wide screening for virus at clinic in Blanding

Screening tests for the COVID-19 virus will take place at a single staging area in Blanding, at the Blanding Family Practice. Local health care organizations, including Utah Navajo Health System (UNHS), Blue Mountain Hospital, and San Juan Health, are working together at the site, located at the...

County resident living in Salt Lake City area tests positive for COVID-19 virus

The first San Juan County resident to test positive for COVID-19 has been diagnosed in the Salt Lake Valley. San Juan Public Health Department (SJPH) said the individual has been staying in the Salt Lake Valley for some period of time and does not plan to return to San Juan County until after the...

San Juan County declares public health emergency

San Juan County has declared a Public Health State of Emergency due to the COVID-19 coronavirus. Officials state that the designation is a preventive move intended to protect vulnerable populations in the community, such as the elderly, and persons with underlying health conditions. The official...

Local schools dismissed for two weeks

Beginning March 16, schools in the San Juan School District will be under a “soft closure” for the following two weeks as part of a massive public health response to slow the spread of coronavirus. San Juan School District Superintendent Ron Nielson called the action a “school dismissal” but added...

Two local residents return from China, being monitored for coronavirus

Two San Juan County residents are currently being “actively monitored” after returning from areas of China where the coronavirus is actively spreading. Officials state that the two local residents are not infected with the virus, but are being monitored due to their potential exposure to the virus...

2020 San Juan County New Year’s Baby born at San Juan Hospital

Weston Duke Whipple wasted little time in his rush to be the 2020 New Year’s Baby for San Juan County. The son of Aunika Hunter and Dustin Whipple was delivered by Dr. Michael Nielson at 6:17 a.m. on New Year’s Day. The delivery was at San Juan Hospital in Monticello. Weston weighs in at six pounds...

Tuberculosis in the Wild West

You probably don’t think about Tuberculosis all that often. You probably don’t think about San Juan County all that often either. Out of site is out of mind, so they say. I never thought much about San Juan County until I brought my family here a few years ago. Even for a guy who grew up in...