April 13, 2020 Update

Well, I hope everyone had a good Easter weekend.  Julie and I usually have a big Saturday event with the grandkiddos and then a family dinner on Sunday.  This year we had to resort to connecting with the family on video chat and Skype.  But we did deliver cinnamon rolls to a few neighbors.

So, let's start with the numbers.

Coronavirus Statistics

Nationally:  The CDC reports as of today:  Total cases: 554,849; Total deaths: 21,942

State:

 Utah County:  Total Cases:  322; total hospitalizations:  18; total deaths:  3

News Items of Note

• BYU has announced that summer sports camps have been canceled through mid-August.  The LDS Church has also announced that their For the Strength of Youth conferences across the Church have been postponed until 2021, including those scheduled for the BYU campus.  This will impact the number of visitors in Provo this summer.
  
• Testing standards for Covid-19 tests have been relaxed in Utah.  Anyone who has any one or more of the following symptoms may be tested:  fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches and pains, decreased sense of taste or smell, or sore throat.  Visit www.testutah.com or talk with your health care provider to arrange for a test.
  
• Of the total of almost 22,000 deaths from Covid-19 in the United States, 10,000 of them are in New York.
  
• Provo's aquifer storage and recovery project gets underway with some pilot locations in Provo in an attempt to recharge our shrinking aquifer with groundwater, filtered through layers of rock and other natural media.
  

Provo Social Media

• The City published two new Conversations with Kaufusi videos this week.  Energy Director Travis Ball is interviewed by Mayor Kaufusi about the impacts of the pandemic on the city's power operation.  Click the link above to see the video.
  
• The Quarantine Concert series gets underway this coming weekend, hosted by a group of musicians in Provo.  You can stream some of our favorite groups - whether rock and roll or country for just $1 for each event.  Visit the series' website for more information and for directions on streaming the concert events.
  
• In the midst of everything else, we have a Council meeting this week.  Check out the Municipal Council's Citizens Agenda to get a quick background on what is on the agenda Tuesday afternoon and evening.  

Now, for the best part.  

The Fun Stuff

So, this Easter weekend, the Mayor's office staff was asked to decorate virtual Easter eggs, which were then posted online in an effort to get residents to pick their favorite.  To go one step further, we are asking our employees who would like to complete a quiz to try to match each Easter egg design with our staff member who created the design.  We will check out your responses for the next couple of days and announce on Wednesday the winner who got the most correct answers.

I did the survey in Qualtrics and it is a drag and drop survey.  Instructions are included.  However, it is a little wonky in dragging and dropping your selection if the destination boxes are below the bottom of the screen.  If that happens, drag the response down to a lower box, scroll down the page and then move your choice to the box you want.  There are ten eggs and ten boxes representing the office staff.  Winner(s) will receive bragging rights and a cool prize. 

Link to the survey: https://provo.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cLTRfvAcQjcIMK1

Have a great rest of your day.  We'll connect again tomorrow!  Stay safe and keep your distance (6 feet).

Wayne