Prosecutor: 2 Businesses Didn’t Force Employees to Work Sick

PROVO, Utah (AP) — The Utah County Attorney on Tuesday refuted reports that two businesses linked to dozens of coronavirus cases forced employees to keep working after testing positive.

David Leavitt said his office found the allegations made public by county leaders weren’t true, though he acknowledged the virus could have been spread by employees who worked without being aware they were infected.

He did not elaborate on exactly how the businesses were cleared, and whether the establishments followed other public-health guidelines aimed at halting the spread of the pandemic.

County commissioners had said weeks ago the unnamed businesses were requiring employees to work while sick. The allegations had come from county health officials conducting contact tracing to determine how people were infected.

Officials have refused to release the names of the businesses connected to a total of 68 coronavirus cases, though they have said they do not directly interact with the public.

The coronavirus causes flu-like symptoms that most people recover from within weeks, but it can be fatal, especially older adults and people with existing health problems. The number of people killed by the virus in Utah rose to 101 on Tuesday.