Robert Garff talks about the importance of literacy at an early age, Friday, Sept. 20, 2013, in Bountiful. Garff, a former state representative and chairman of Ken Garff Automotive Group, died Sunday, March 29, 2020, from COVID-19, his daughter said. | Deseret News archives
Number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Beehive State now stands at 719
SALT LAKE CITY — Robert Garff, former state representative and chairman of the Ken Garff Automotive Group, died Sunday from COVID-19, his daughter said.
“My loving dad passed away peacefully today from COVID-19. He has lived a long and happy life, full of vigor and love for our state and our families. I count myself blessed to be serving in the Utah House of Representatives just as my Dad did,” Rep. Melissa Garff Ballard, R-North Salt Lake, shared in a Facebook post.
Garff, 78, and his wife, Katharine, both tested positive for the virus after returning home from a visit to Palm Springs. They immediately self-quarantined, according to a statement from Ken Garff Automotive. He became more ill early last week and went to the hospital. His wife continues to recover at home.
“Robert was a giant in the community, a pioneer in the auto industry and the biggest cheerleader to every employee at Ken Garff Automotive. Robert loved his family immensely and will be missed by them as well as his employees and many friends,” the group said in the statement.
Garff served as chairman of the board of trustees of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. During his time in the Legislature, Garff served as speaker of the House. He has also served on the boards of Intermountain Healthcare and Deseret Book, among others.
Meanwhile, as Utah continues exponentially increasing its testing capacity, confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose Sunday to 719.
Just under 14,000 Utahns have been tested for the illness, up nearly 3,000 since Saturday. Confirmed cases rose 116 since the previous day, according to the Utah Department of Health. The rate of positive cases among those tested continues to hover just above 5%.
The rate of patients requiring hospitalization in the Beehive State has remained about 10%, Dr. Angela Dunn, epidemiologist with the Utah Health Department, said Friday.
As news of Garff’s death spread throughout the state, condolences began to pour in.
Utah Sen. Mitt Romney said in a statement: “With profound sadness, I have learned that my friend Bob Garff has passed away from COVID-19. It breaks my heart. Bob’s contributions to our state, to our economy, and to our church will be heralded by many. But for me, it was his sound and principled leadership as the chairman of the Olympic Winter Games of 2002 that is most compelling.
“The scandal that surrounded the Games could have overwhelmed our collective commitment, but Bob’s genuine goodness, clear-eyed optimism and can-do management experience helped to reignite our confidence and community spirit. The Games were arguably the best ever, in large measure thanks to the character and care of Bob Garff. Ann and I will miss our friend very, very much,” Romney said.
House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, said in a Facebook post that Garff “led a life of selfless service to others, which included leadership roles in the business, government, and faith communities.”
“Bob’s influence is far reaching and will be deeply missed,” Wilson said.
Scott Howell, former state senator, remembered Garff as “one of the greatest speakers of the House in the history of the state of Utah.”
“He has always been a loyal dedicated friend that has taught me so much about politics. He was inspirational in teaching me about working together and always trying to create win-wins in life and in the political arena,” Howell said on Facebook.
The largest jumps in cases Sunday happened in Salt Lake County, where 45 more residents tested positive; Summit County, which saw 24 new cases; and Utah County, where 20 more cases were confirmed.
Central Utah remains the only area without confirmed cases.
Gov. Gary Herbert on Friday issued a directive encouraging all Utahns to stay home and outlining other measures residents should take to slow the virus’ spread. The directive fell short of a public health order, which can carry a class B misdemeanor under Utah law if violated.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall soon after on Friday gave the directive the “force of the law” in a proclamation for the city.
Salt Lake County announced a new public health order Sunday urging residents to stay at home except for essential travel. The order requires the closure of all businesses that serve as public gathering places and don’t provide services considered essential, including salons and spas, swimming pools, museums, movie theaters, arcades and social clubs.
Grocery stores, pharmacies, religious and charitable institutions, hotels and other essential businesses can stay open, according to the order.
“This order complements both the governor’s directive and the intent of Salt Lake City’s current order. Our collective goal is to save lives and keep our health system from being overwhelmed,” Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said in a statement.
“Reducing opportunities for people to congregate is one of the most important things we can do to help ‘flatten the curve’ and minimize stress on our healthcare system. This order strikes the right balance between public and economic health by prohibiting only the business practices most concerning when it comes to transmission of COVID-19,” Wilson said.
A breakdown of the Utah COVID-19 cases by health district:
- Salt Lake County, 321 residents, 3 nonresidents
- Summit County, 151 residents, 8 nonresidents
- Davis County, 69 residents
- Utah County, 50 residents, 1 nonresident
- Wasatch County, 39 residents, 1 nonresident
- Southwest Utah, 14 residents, 1 nonresident
- San Juan County, 4 residents
- Weber-Morgan, 37 residents
- Bear River Health Department, 9 residents
- Tooele County, 9 residents
- TriCounty Health Department, 1 resident
- Southeast Utah, 1 resident
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