After recently reading Mark Newman’s column in the Salt Lake Tribune, I was reminded of how lucky we are to live in a state that created an effective program to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. We should all be thankful to have a leader like Governor Cox who has once again, proven his dedication to our state. The trials and tribulations that we have endured over the past two years have highlighted Utah’s ability to respond to unforeseen crises.

Mark Newman’s piece referenced a study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research, ranking Utah as the #1 state in the nation for its response to the pandemic. Utah’s COVID-19 response program — TestUtah, provided precise and reliable tests to over a million of our residents, including myself. I was comfortable throughout the testing process and confident that my results would be accurate. Having access to these effective health care services helped to ease the burdens of COVID-19.

We have reaped many benefits of Governor Cox’s efforts. His actions kept schools and businesses open while minimizing health risks for Utahns. Additionally, our economy has remained intact, while many others have struggled. We’re all thankful to be nearing the end of this crisis, and I am thankful that Utah’s leaders took the appropriate steps to minimize the fallout from the pandemic and keep our families safe.

Erica Jones

West Haven

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