Utah Governor Orders All Adults Entering State to Disclose Their Travel Plans

State Troopers wait for drivers to arrive at a check point on April 7, 2020. Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert issued an executive order on Thursday that will require adults entering the state to disclose their travel plans in a bid to restrict travel during the CCP virus pandemic.

The order went into effect on Friday morning, according to his office. It applies to all adults regardless of how they enter the state.

They will have to “complete a travel declaration form” and the state Department of Transportation will then “collect this information in an electronic form” that “individuals will receive via text message upon entering the state,” said a press release from Herbert’s office.

“I am impressed with the extraordinary things that Utahns are doing each day to help one another stay safe and stay home. In recent days, however, we have seen an uptick in travel on our roads,” the governor said.“We need to limit our travel to essential purposes only. Our goal is to trace potential cases of COVID-19 in inbound travelers.”

A wireless emergency alert system will be placed near the Utah borders to notify people entering the state via a vehicle to complete a declaration. People who come into the state through the Salt Lake City International Airport will also have to complete the declaration. It’s not clear if people flying into the state on small aircraft will have to complete it.

“The Utah Department of Technology Services will provide the encryption of all data collected and transmitted pursuant to this order. It will also ensure the system involving the collection, transmission, and storage of data collected pursuant to this order meets national privacy and security standards,” said the news release. It added that no personally identifiable information or personal health information will be shared with the public.

The order was implemented starting at 8 a.m. local time on April 10. It will remain in effect until May 1.

Utah still has not issued a statewide stay-at-home order amid the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus epidemic. In Utah, there are about 1,800 cases with 13 deaths, according to a running tally from Johns Hopkins University.

More than 40 states have issued stay-at-home orders, while Michigan went a step further on Thursday. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an order banning “travel between two residences” to curb the CCP virus spread.

The new order says travel is allowed “between two residences in this state, through April 10, 2020. After that date, travel between two residences is not permitted.” The exceptions include caring for an elderly parent or relative, caring for a pet, visiting a nursing home or a similar facility, attending a funeral with no more than 10 people, and complying with a court order related to child custody.