COVID-19 losses cut deep in small town; vaccines offer hope

COVID-19 losses cut deep in small town; vaccines offer hope

PANGUITCH, Utah (AP) — The coronavirus pandemic has swept through Utah’s rural Garfield County, infecting more than one in every dozen people. KUER-FM reports there have been nearly 400 cases of COVID-19 in a county of just over 5,000 people. As of Feb. 2, nine people in Garfield County have lost their lives because of COVID-19, making it second in the state for deaths per capita. It’s only behind San Juan County, which includes parts of the hard-hit Navajo Nation. It’s had a major impact on everything from the sheriff’s office to high school sports games, affecting the social fabric of the small community.