COVID-19 Coverage

One major asset to the Provo and Orem music scene is the abundance of local concert venues. Live music venues in Utah County are being revitalized after many were shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new statement released by the First Presidency is asking Church members to wear masks while doing temple work.

Some international students at BYU are puzzled at the hesitancy of Americans in getting vaccinated. Many international students have seen a positive approach toward getting vaccinated in their home countries, which contrasts some American viewpoints about the COVID-19 vaccine.

For Cougareat patrons this week, BYU’s staffing problems are more than apparent. Long lines and wait times, cancelled orders and premature closing of businesses have been common occurrences since campus returned to full student capacity this semester.Businesses such as the Cougar Cafe have been forced to open much later in the day, while other establishments like Taco Bell have been temporarily closed.

BYU has added additional specifics to its COVID-19 protocols following announcements that other Utah universities will begin mandating COVID-19 vaccines.

Some incoming freshmen at BYU said the pandemic has influenced their intended fields of study. Of the freshmen The Daily Universe interviewed, those who said they were influenced by the pandemic decided to either go into the medical field or saw a greater need to help others and chose a major that could achieve that. Some students experienced internship and job shadow opportunities that opened their eyes to new or different career paths and others experienced a surplus of time during quarantine that allowed them to figure out what they were passionate about.

BYU announced that faculty and students will be required to wear face masks on campus in classrooms, any indoor space and other areas when directed beginning in the fall semester.

ees, students and guests to wear masks indoors on campus when physical distancing is not possible according to an email sent to faculty and an update on its COVID-19 website.

Animal shelters experienced a massive increase in pet adoptions and pet fostering during the pandemic and some shelters in Utah were almost empty of...

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints once again urged members to take necessary measures to protect themselves from COVID-19 in a news release on Thursday.

More than 80 residents spent nearly two hours voicing support or opposition to K-12 school mask mandates during a Utah County Commission meeting Wednesday afternoon.

BYU University Communications emailed all students, faculty and staff on Aug. 2 asking them to report their COVID-19 vaccination status immediately. The email said if students have not reported their vaccination status by Aug. 19, access to myBYU will be restricted until the report is received.

Utah is becoming a hot spot for the delta variant of COVID-19, which has some worried about what this means for BYU's traditional fall semester.

More than 200 students will travel this fall through approved international travel study programs from the Kennedy Center. These are the first travel programs through BYU since the start of the pandemic cancelled them.

BYU-Hawaii will require students to be vaccinated for COVID-19 to have in-person classes this fall semester.BYU-Idaho has provided on-campus clinics for students to get vaccinated, and BYU will be offering vaccine rewards to students who are vaccinated. BYU and BYU-Idaho have not required students to receive the vaccine.

A vaccine pop-up clinic will be offering Johnson & Johnson vaccines to students at Slab Pizza on July 15. Participants will receive a gift card to Slab Pizza and be entered into a drawing for a $100 Visa gift card.

Utah health officials hosted a news conference on July 7 to address Utah's status as the sixth-worst state in the United States when it comes to COVID-19 case rates.

BYU is encouraging students to get vaccinated before fall semester and will be implementing "vaccine-appreciation rewards" to students who show their immunization card.