SWEETWATER COUNTY — In a ParentSquare notification from Sweetwater County School District No. 1 Superintendent Kelly McGovern, both school districts and public health sent a unified message to families, urging everyone to celebrate Thanksgiving weekend safely.

Below is the full statement from the three entities:

Both Sweetwater School Districts along with Public Health want to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday. As this vacation begins, we ask that everyone enjoy their families, but we ask that everyone celebrate this safely.

These last two weeks, Sweetwater County School District No. 1 and Sweetwater County School District No. 2, along with our local public health and medical community, have felt the full effects of Halloween weekend. If people do not take precautions over Thanksgiving weekend, the Districts and medical providers will feel this full effect again beginning around the week of December 7. If precautions are not taken over the Christmas and New Year’s vacation, both Districts and medical providers will feel those effects beginning around January 11 for about two weeks. If COVID cases continue to rise it will bring stricter mandates, further substitute shortages, and more cancelations of things we can offer the kids taking opportunities away from them. These opportunities could include, but not limited to cancelling sports, activities, and events, or taking schools to a Tier 3 model. An increase will continue to negatively impact the medical community and what they are able to provide.

The things that could potentially take schools to a Tier 3 model are staff shortages, school spread, and/or our hospital becoming overwhelmed. Our hospital is currently feeling the impact of being short staffed due to COVID-19, which could limit the amount of care that can be provided. It is becoming increasingly difficult to get patients in need to Utah as they are at capacity. This is not impacted to COVID care exclusively, this impacts individuals that have other health emergencies as well. As many would agree, moving to Tier 3 (solely online) would create a burden on many families and our community. We do NOT want to shut down, so we are pleading with our community to please do your part.

Some things that you can do this holiday:

• Wash your hands frequently
• Maintain six feet of distance between people of different households
• Seat people of the same household together and separate tables 6 feet apart for Thanksgiving dinner
• Wear masks when you are within six feet and able. Remember the protection of the face mask is lost once it comes off
• Keep gatherings small
• Have awareness that loud talking and singing increase spread possibility

Please help us keep schools open and our hospital staffed and not overwhelmed to provide proper care. We want to keep schools open and the hospitals in a state that they are not overwhelmed, please assist us with this.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families.