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Two local military men die
Two military members have died of influenza. Both are from Salt Lake City. Both were on the Atlantic Coast. (At this point, the towns were small enough that all people affected were being listed in the newspapers. These boys were no exception.) -
Funerals might be banned
Even though the dead bodies don't spread diseases, those around the deceased have been exposed. Banning funerals is an effort to keep those exposed people away from the public. (How heartbreaking would it be to miss Grandma's funeral due to banning funerals.) -
Public Gatherings closed in Cedar City
Symptoms of the Spanish Influenza are showing up in Cedar City. Five to six cases were reported after people visited Salt Lake City for conference and the fair. (They are simply following what the other cities have done. In a way, they are blaming the people of Salt Lake and those that went there for bringing it to Cedar City.) -
Don't spit in public
Because the influenza is spread so easily, it has been decided that people will get fined if they are caught spitting. (We know germs can be caused from spitting, but is spitting on the road really that big of a deal? Apparently, they were very scared so it was a big deal.) -
Hospital renovation & Educational pamphlets
The Judge Mercy Hospital that just opened today is already being renovated to accommodate 120 more people. The Boy Scouts will deliver 20,000 pamphlets to educate people. The death toll in Boston is the highest so far at 99. (Originally, the hospital wing held 30 people. If they quickly made it accessible for 5 times more people, they were in dire need.) -
Richfield follows others and shuts down
Richfield is closing schools, church, amusement and the theater. (Yet another city closing down to protect its citizens.) -
Don't go to store sales
After Dr. Beatty was informed that almost 500 women showed up a sale at the department store on Monday, he ordered that no more sales happen. (The Dr. was probably shaking his head and thinking, "No public gathering means sales too.") -
Schools will cook food, Teachers will feed it to the ill.
Even though schools have been cancelled, the school kitchens will be used to cook food for ailing families. Seventy five teachers volunteered to help the nurses. They will receive instructions daily on how to help. (I like the way they used their resources. And, I could see several teachers in my school who would volunteer,) -
People should wear masks
The city of Bingham has asked what they can do to protect themselves. The answer was to "wear gauze masks". (This warning was repeated over and over again. It reminds me of the swine flu a decade ago. So many people had masks on at Walmart.) -
Increased phone use
The use of the telephone has increased as more people are staying home to avoid influenza. The phone company is provided gauze masks for it's workers. (I can only assume that community phones being used.) -
DON'T kiss the bride
It has been warned that influenza can be passed through kissing. If there is a wedding, there shouldn't be any kissing. In fact the bride, and her guests, should wear a mask. (Despite all of the worry, it's encouraging that some people continued their lives and love.) -
138 towns affected
There are 138 towns that are affected with influenza. It has been reported that 20,000 people in Utah have the flu with 67 new cases reported yesterday. (I looked up some statistics. According to an article in the Deseret News on March 15, 1985, Utah was the 2nd highest death rate.) -
Most teachers are slackers
There are 650 women teachers who are getting paid, but aren't working due to school closures. 100 of them have already volunteered, but he rest are slackers, even though the Red Cross offered to pay them double. (Maybe teachers could volunteer, but I don't think they would ever be recruited because of liability reasons, both on the end of the patients as well as the possibility of getting more people sick.) -
Face Masks recommended
It is recommended that people, especially those around the ill, wear a gauze mask. It should be boiled every 24 hours. Use an 18X24 cloth folded 4 times, then tape down the corners. (Masks seem obvious, but they couldn't purchase convenient ones like we have today, so they had to be given instructions.) -
Homes need to be placarded
If someone in a home has influenza, then a sign needs to be placed on their home. This alerts people who are going in to wear their mask. (I wonder if any of the Mormons followed the Bible Stories and placated their homes with lamb"s blood on the door?) -
Provo joins other cities: No Gathering
Provo has passed a flu ordinance stating that no one can be at a public gathering without a face mask. Also, incidental places such as soda or ice cream shops can't open. -
Get innoculated!
Things are getting better, but it is recommended that people get inoculated. There are several stations where this can happen. (There is only a specific amount of flu vaccines even today. People must have been running for them back then. I wonder if they ran out?) -
Apply for Liquor
There has been several liquor requests. People need to apply for liquor to help them with the influenza. It is believed that some people are applying simply because they want to drink. (The article in the Deseret News from 1985 said a man was arrested for being drunk, and tried to use the liquor as an excuse to take preventative measurements.) -
Movies are possible again
After 10 weeks of closure, the moving picture theaters are opening in Ogden. (I was surprised by this. I didn't realize movies were popular at this time, but people really missed them. The first movie theaters came to Utah in 1911.) -
Provo lifts gathering ban
Provo has lifted the flu ordinance. People may now gather in public places. (Despite being 30 miles apart, Provo and Salt Lake seemed to follow the same timeline. The citizens must have interacted quite a bit, despite the distance.) -
Schools to Open
The restrictions in Salt Lake City are now void. Schools will be back in session on December 30th. (This must have been a celebration in more ways than one...people are getting better and children don't have to be home all the time anymore. I bet the kids were even excited to go back to school.)
