Published January 7, 2021 at 6:13 PM MST
Jon Reed
KUER
Tickets for the Sundance Film Festival went on sale Thursday. This year the festival has gone virtual due to COVID-19. This story and more in Thursday evening s news brief.
Thursday evening, January 7, 2021
State
Second Highest Single Day COVID-19 Case Total
Utah recorded its second highest, single day total for new COVID-19 cases Thursday as health officials announced 4,597 cases. Officials also reported 29 deaths but they said 17 of those occurred before Dec. 20. There are also 537 people currently hospitalized with the disease. In vaccine news, Utah hospitals have already begun administering the second dose and 967 have received it so far.
SALT LAKE CITY The number of Utahns filing for jobless compensation remains at historic levels into the new year.
The Utah Department of Workforce Services reported Thursday the number of total new claims filed for unemployment benefits registered at 5,588 for the week of Dec. 27 through Jan. 2, a 7.7% increase from the previous week. Data showed there were 27,292 continued claims filed during that same week. Last week we saw an increase in new unemployment claims as well as in continued claims, both appear to be a direct result of the recently signed Continued Assistance Act extending many of the CARES Act provisions, said Unemployment Insurance Division Director Kevin Burt.
KUER
Hundreds of protestors assembled at the statehouse in Utah this afternoon. The gathering took place after insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. This story and more in Wednesday evening s news brief.
Wednesday evening, January 6, 2021
State
Utah’s Congressional Delegation Condemns Pro-Trump Extremists
Members of Utah’s Congressional delegation condemned the protests and violence at the U.S. Capitol Wednesday. Representatives and Senators were evacuated from the chambers of the capitol. It came as pro-Trump extremists stormed the building. Rep. John Curtis, R-UT, said he was safe in his Washington D.C. office. But he decried the mob outside saying it was “totally inappropriate.” Read the full story.