Editor’s note: The Salt Lake Tribune is providing readers free access to critical local stories about the coronavirus during this time of heightened concern. See more coverage here.
An onslaught of shutterings statewide have followed Utah Gov. Gary Herbert’s call on March 12 to limit mass gatherings statewide to 100 people in an attempt to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Here’s an ongoing list of cancellations and postponements:
Government
• Salt Lake County has declared a state of local emergency. So have Daggett, Davis, Morgan, Summit, Uintah, Washington and Weber counties. So have the municipalities of Alta, Draper, Herriman, Midvale, Millcreek, Moab, Murray, Riverton, Sandy, South Jordan, South Salt Lake City, Taylorsville, West Valley City and West Jordan.
• The Utah State Prison has suspended all visitation and volunteer services at their Draper and Gunnison facilities for at least two weeks. Officials there say they’ve been encouraging those who are incarcerated to use telephones and mail instead. County jails, including Salt Lake County, are following suit, offering free phone calls instead.
[Read more: Utah’s colleges and universities closing classes, moving to online courses]
• Salt Lake City postponed all justice court jury trials that were scheduled through April 10. All jail and prison transports were canceled, and those hearings will be rescheduled as video conferences. Officials asked that anyone with flu-like symptoms or who is at risk to contact their attorney and ask for their case to be delayed.
• The Utah courts announced an order from Utah Chief Justice Matthew Durrant that gives presiding judges the ability to postpone trials and hearings and cancel meetings and to allow for remote communications when a case must move forward to “preserve constitutional rights.”
• Third District Court, in Salt Lake, Summit and Tooele counties, delayed for at least three weeks all jury trials — including those for defendants who are sitting in jail. Civil hearings also are being postponed.
• The city of Sandy has canceled the March 17 and 24th city council meetings, as well as its April 16 planning commission meeting, all board of adjustment meetings through April and all citizen committee meetings until further notice. It has postponed all its Citizen Focus Group meetings. The passport office will be closed until March 30. Public access to the animal shelter has been limited, and people applying for pet license must do so through the mail. It has also delayed all games and activities as local parks until April 3. People will not be able to make park reservations until April 13.
• Centerville police’s walk-up window will only be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for administrative services. People with non-emergency policing issues can call 801-292-8441 for help, and those in emergencies can call 911. Police are also going to forego responding to medical calls unless requested by medics. It has also stopped performing fingerprint services and allowing civilian ride-alongs. All visitors are barred from the department.
• Centerville has canceled all its city-sponsored events until further notice — except its Fourth of July events. Its public works building is also closed. City hall will remain open, but officials urge residents to only come in for essential services. Those who do, must go to the court window for help.
Religious groups
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that it would suspend public gatherings of church members “until further notice.” The church also is closing all buildings and public areas in and around Temple Square, including the Conference Center, Assembly Hall, Tabernacle, North Visitors’ Center, Family History Library, Church History Museum, Relief Society Building, Church Office Building, Beehive House and Church History Library. Construction work on the Salt Lake Temple will continue as planned. At Welfare Square, operations will remain open, but public tours are temporarily discontinued.
• The Utah Muslim Civic League announced Monday that several religious centers would close to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and as part of its "Islamic tradition to do our best to prevent harm to our fellow human beings and be compliant with the local laws,” the league said in a statement. The following locations are closed until further notice: Khadeeja Islamic Center in West Valley, Madina Islamic Center in Salt Lake City, Utah Islamic Center in Sandy, Noor Masjid in Salt Lake City, Maryjam Masjid in Salt Lake City, Al Furqan Learning Center and Al Farooq Islamic Center in Clearfield.
Politics
• Utah’s Republicans are canceling the planned March 24 caucus meetings where delegates are selected, and they also plan on holding a primarily online convention instead of the planned April 25 in-person convention, which generally attracts some 4,000 delegates.
• The state Democratic Party is not mandating the cancellation of March 24 caucus meetings but it is strongly recommending that county parties find alternatives to mass in-person gatherings. It’s calling off its planned April 25 convention, but will release details on an alternative later. And the United Utah Party will hold online caucuses March 24 and a virtual convention on April 18.
Health care
• The Huntsman Cancer Institute has said that patients will only be allowed one guest at a time.
Public spaces
• All Salt Lake County senior centers are closed indefinitely. Arrangements are in the works to provide meals to those who rely on the center’s food services. The Provo City Senior Center also will close, the city of Provo announced.
• American Fork is closing the city’s fitness center, postponing outdoor recreation programs, canceling activities and reservations at the senior center (though meals will still be served to qualified seniors), canceling programs at the library, as well as tours of the police and fire stations.
• Until further notice, Salt Lake County has closed all recreation centers, libraries, the equestrian center, the Discovery Gateway children’s museum and the Clark Planetarium. The county also will close the four arts venues it manages: Abravanel Hall, the Capitol Theatre, the Eccles Theater and the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center.
• Salt Lake City Public Library will be closed through March 29, and will extend due dates for material already checked out. (City Library does not charge overdue fees.) The library has canceled all events, programs and outreach through Sunday, April 19 — and is canceling all room reservations through April 19. Library officials are encouraging people to use the library system’s online resources where possible.
• Provo announced it would close and cancel all programs at the Provo Library at Academy Square, the Provo Recreation Center, its Senior Center, The Peaks Ice Arena, East Bay Golf Course, the Provo Shooting Sports Park and the Covey Center for the Arts. Provo Parks and Recreation Department facilities are closed. For more information on Provo closures, visit provo.org/city-services/covid19. Lunch meal service and Meals on Wheels delivery will still be operational at the Senior Center.
• Salt Lake County has closed the Salt Palace Convention Center and the Mountain America Expo Center.
• The Utah Museum of Fine Arts will be closed through March 27.
• The Natural History Museum of Utah will shut its doors for two weeks.
• The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art will be closed through March 27, and will postpone all public programming through April 17.
• Red Butte Garden is closed until further notice. Staff will maintain the garden’s many plants while waiting for word on when the venue can reopen.
• The Loveland Living Planet Aquarium in Draper will close until further notice. The aquarium’s staff will give daily updates on its animals, at 3 p.m. daily on its social media channels.
• The Hogle Zoo is closed until further notice.
• Tracy Aviary & Botanical Garden, in Liberty Park, is closed until further notice.
• Utah Pride Center will be closed to the public through March 29. Events, including the Queer Food Festival, The Sun Revisited and Queer Prom, have been postponed and will be rescheduled. The center also postponed all in-person programming.
• The IJ and Jeanné Wagner Jewish Community Center is closed, and all programs are canceled.. JCC leaders say they hope to reopen March 30.
• South Weber City’s Family Activity Center, at 1181 E. Lester Dr., will be closed until further notice.
• The Division of Wildlife Resources also canceled its swan viewing, mountain goat viewing and turkey hunting events for this month. And it has postponed fishing seminars.
• Dinosaur National Monument, near the Utah-Colorado state line, is closing the Quarry Exhibit Hall and Quarry Visitor Center indefinitely.
• Utah State Parks will remain open, but two events have been canceled: The Buffalo Run events, March 20 and 21, at Antelope Island State Park; and the Playhouse Plunge, March 21, at Willard Bay State Park.
• Walk-in visits to Sandy fire stations have been limited, and all school and business programs, and station tours and ride-alongs have been canceled. The fire department’s CPR classes for April 1 and 15 are also canceled. Sandy police have called off all events for the next 30 days, beginning March 13.
Sports
• After the NBA’s announcement that it would suspend its season, Major League Soccer (where Real Salt Lake plays) suspended its season.
• The National Women’s Soccer League, NWSL — the league in which Utah Royals FC plays — announced the season opening of April 18 will be delayed.
• The Utah Grizzlies’ league, the mid-level ECHL, canceled the remainder of its 2019-2020 season.
• The Pac-12 canceled all tournaments, including the women’s gymnastics championship set for March 21 at the Maverik Center in West Valley City.
• The Utah Olympic Oval said it canceled all sport and public programs through March 29. So have the Utah Olympic Park and Soldier Hollow Nordic Center.
• The Salt Lake Marathon, set for April 18, has been “postponed until next year,” organizers announced. Those who have registered and paid their entry fee can defer the fee to next year’s race, on April 17, 2021, or enter a “virtual race” by documenting their miles on their preferred activity tracker and filling out a Google form on the marathon’s website.
[Read more: The Tribune has opened access to our coronavirus coverage to all readers]
Cultural events
• Salt Lake County-managed arts venues — Abravanel Hall, Capitol Theatre, Eccles Theater and the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center — will be closed through May 15. This includes the run of the touring production of Disney’s “Frozen," April 15 to May 3 at the Eccles; patrons are advised to hold on to their tickets, as theater managers hope to reschedule.
• The Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square will cancel its Spring Chorale and Orchestra Concert, on March 20 and 21, and its Choir and Orchestra Concert of Handel’s “Messiah” on April 10 and 11 — though a 2018 recording of “Messiah” will be streamed online and broadcast on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ satellite system. The choir will still broadcast “Music and the Spoken Word” on Sundays, but without an audience. The choir’s Thursday rehearsals and Wednesday bell rehearsals will be closed to the public temporarily. And the Tabernacle’s daily organ recitals will be suspended, starting March 15 until further notice.
• The nonprofit StoryCorps project, collecting stories from everyday Americans, has postponed indefinitely its planned March 25-April 24 tour stop at The Gateway.
• Salt Lake Film Society, the nonprofit that runs the Broadway Centre Cinemas and Tower Theatre, will close both theaters through April 17.
• The Megaplex Theatres chain, which has 15 locations in Utah, is closing its venues indefinitely.
• The Regal Cinemas chain, which operates a 14-screen multiplex in Taylorsville, announced that the company is shutting down all locations until further notice.
• The AMC Theatres chain — which operates theaters in Layton, West Jordan and Provo — announced that it is closing all locations until further notice.
• Cinemark Theatres, which operates 15 locations along the Wasatch Front from Ogden to Spanish Fork, will close until further notice, effective March 18.
• The Metropolitan Theatres, which run the Redstone 8 and Holiday Village 4 theaters in Park City, are closed indefinitely.
• Brewvies Cinema Pub is temporarily closing its theaters in Salt Lake City and Ogden.
• The Utah Film Center is canceling all programming scheduled through April 19; most of its films screen at the City Library.
• The Organ Loft, which presents classic silent films with live organ accompaniment, is canceling its spring schedule of screenings.
• The Radio From Hell International Film Festival, a night of short films from local filmmakers set for March 25 at the Tower Theatre, has been postponed indefinitely.
• The Superbloom Festival, an all-day music event at the OC Tanner Amphitheatre outside Zion National Park headlined by the Provo-based band The National Parks, has been moved from April 25 to Aug. 15.
• Utah Symphony | Utah Opera canceled all performances though the end of March. That includes Utah Opera’s performances of “The Barber of Seville” on March 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22, and the Utah Symphony’s concerts on March 17, 19, 21, 26, 27 and 28.
• The Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City has canceled performances for June 1 to 9, what would have been the festival’s opening week. The festival hopes to launch its season on June 10, if public health officials give the OK.
• Pioneer Theatre Company has canceled the world premiere of Ellen Simon’s play “Ass,” which was scheduled to run March 27-April 11. PTC is postponing to next season the musical, “Something Rotten!,” originally scheduled for May 8-23. The company is working to resolve issues regarding tickets already purchased.
• The Grand Theatre has canceled its production of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” using Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel, that was to start March 26.
• Salt Lake Acting Company will delay the planned run of “Four Women Talking About the Man Under the Sheet” — scheduled to run through March 22 — until May or July, depending on the actors’ availability.
• Hale Center Theatre in Sandy will go dark for two weeks beginning March 16. Performances of “Strictly Ballroom: The Musical” and “Bright Star” are scheduled to resume on March 31; the missed performances are being rescheduled.
• Plan-B Theatre will postpone the March 26 premiere of Jennifer Nii’s new play, “The Audacity.” A new opening date will be announced.
• Ballet West plans to conduct its Choreographic Festival as scheduled, May 14-16, but Singapore Dance Theater and Royal New Zealand Ballet will not be traveling to Utah to participate. Ballet West will move its next production, “Bolero & The Dream,” from April 17-25 to June 18-21.
• Repertory Dance Theatre has canceled all dance classes through March 31.
• Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company is canceling all public events through March 31. That includes the annual benefit party on March 20, and Dance Church on March 15 and 22. The production of “Catalyst,” set for April 9-11, will still go on, for now.
• The Zac Brown Band, a country/rock group, announced online it would reschedule its spring tour, including its show on Thursday, March 26, at the Maverik Center, for later in the year.
• The Maverik Center announced that Cirque du Soleil’s touring show “Bazzar,” which had been set for May 24 to July 5 in a big-top tent in the arena’s parking lot, has been canceled.
• All shows at The State Room and The Commonwealth Room for the month of March have been postponed, venue managers wrote on their website.
• The Holi Festival of Colors at the Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, which had been scheduled for March 27 and 28, is being rescheduled for Sept. 19 and 20.
• The King’s English bookshop is closing its bricks-and-mortar store indefinitely, but will sell books online. The store has canceled all author events for the near future.
• Phillips Gallery, at 444 E. 200 South, announced on March 20 that it is closing indefinitely. Appointments can be made by calling or emailing the gallery.
• Sandy city’s 2020 Elementary School Art Show has also been canceled, and the “Frozen Jr.” youth musical will no longer hold performances.
• The League of Utah Writers announced it would delay its spring conference, originally set for April 18, tentatively to May 23.
• In Park City, the Egyptian Theatre has canceled the upcoming production of the musical “Newsies.”
• Ice Dance International has canceled its western U.S. tour, including an April 1 performance at the Park City Ice Arena.
• The St. George Art Festival, set for April 10-11 in St. George’s Historic Town Square, has been canceled. The next festival is scheduled to take place April 2-3, 2021, organizers said.
• Centerville’s Whitaker Museum, 168 N. Main St., will be closed until further notice.
• Wiseguys has canceled its shows through the end of March and plans deep cleanings at its locations. Ticket purchases will be refunded to the cards used to make them, the comedy club said on Twitter.
• In West Wendover, Nev., the Peppermill, Rainbow and Montego Bay will close their casinos after March 17, their restaurants at noon March 18, and their hotels at 6 p.m. March 19. The closures will be for 30 days. Maverick Gaming, which operates the Wendover Nugget and Red Garter, announced a similar closure.
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• The Tumbleweeds Film Festival for kids, put on by the Utah Film Center at the City Library’s main branch, canceled all screenings and workshops for the festival’s second weekend, starting with March 12′s scheduled showing of “Binti” and through March 15. Organizers hope to reschedule the festival’s second weekend later in the year.
• The 15th annual Get Lucky Festival, a two-day electronic dance music event that was expected to draw around 10,000 fans to Saltair March 13 and 14 at Saltair, was canceled, organizers announced on Instagram.
• The March 14 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Salt Lake City was postponed. The Hibernian Society of Utah has not announced a new date.
• Repertory Dance Theatre and other groups canceled the “Ring Around the Rose” event on March 14.
• Park City Institute canceled its Saints and Sinners Ball on March 14 at St. Regis Deer Valley. The institute plans to reschedule the fund-raiser.
• Park City Institute canceled the March 21 concert by T Bone Burnett at the Eccles Center Theatre. The institute plans to reschedule the show.
• Park City’s Egyptian Theatre has canceled the March 12-15 concerts of the band Moe.
• Babcock Performing Readers’ reading of “Life Begins on Opening Day,” a collection of odes to baseball set for March 19 at the Olpin Union Building at the University of Utah, was canceled.
— Tribune reporters Sean P. Means, Courtney Tanner, Erin Alberty, Scott D. Pierce, Jessica Miller, Paighten Harkins, Dan Harrie and Taylor Stevens contributed to this article.
