Utah Mormons advised to wear masks in public as coronavirus cases rise
SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has asked all its members in Utah to wear masks when in public, a request that comes as confirmed infections in the state increase.
The Deseret News reports that the Utah Area Presidency of the Mormon church sent out the request in an email Friday evening. The area presidency operates under the authority of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
“Now we ask all Latter-day Saints in the Utah Area to be good citizens by wearing face coverings when in public,” the email said. “Doing so will help promote the health and general welfare of all.”
About 62% of Utah’s 3.1 million residents are Mormons.
Nearly 900 new cases were reported in the state Friday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Overall, Utah had 28,223 confirmed cases and 207 deaths from the virus as of Saturday.
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