This article was updated on Nov. 15 at 8:53 p.m. to include information from a U Health press release regarding the incident.

As of 7:25 p.m. Tuesday, a potential bomb threat to the University of Utah hospital was confirmed to be cleared.

“We would like to thank our partners in law enforcement and emergency responders for their incredible collaboration this evening,” the tweet from U Health read. “While events like these are challenging, our teams train routinely and the response ran smoothly. The safety of our patients and team members is our priority and we’re grateful for the positive outcome.”

At 5:14 p.m. U Health tweeted that the U Hospital was working with law enforcement and the Salt Lake City Police Department Bomb Squad to secure the area from a potential bomb threat. 

At around 6:30 p.m. the campus community received an alert saying that at 3:12 p.m. the same day, the public safety department at the U “received a report of an abandoned backpack in the first-floor lobby area of the hospital.”

The statement also said a bomb-sniffing dog alerted the Salt Lake City Police to potential explosives in the bag. 

At 6:47 p.m. the package was determined to not be a bomb. 

During the incident, 100 South and Mario Capecchi to the front of the hospital were closed with the public being asked to avoid the area. 

The package is confirmed to not be a bomb, and the “hospital and community is safe,” read a tweet from U Health. 

The incident is being investigated by University of Utah Police with assistance from the SLCPD Bomb Squad, said UUPD Lt. Ryan Speers.

Prior to the alert being sent out to students and the community, replies to U Health’s tweets showed concern about finding out about the incident via Twitter rather than an emergency alert system and confusion about which specific area to avoid. 

According to KSL.com, UUPD has been investigating a series of bomb threats from Sept. 12-14 to the U Hospital. The hospital received 19 messages through their website alluding to bombs placed in the hospital. 

The hospital will return to normal operations later Tuesday night.

As of 8:15, all roads headed to the hospital are now open.

In a press release, U Health said patients who were relocated from the affected area are now returning to their inpatient rooms and “staff is now commencing with shift change.”

In the release, U Health included a statement from Dan Lundergan, the U Hospital and Clinics CEO, who said “I’m relieved this resolved without incident and I’m incredibly grateful to our teams, to our law enforcement partners and to all those involved in supporting our hospital this evening.”

The U community also received an alert around 8:48 p.m. letting them know the U hospital will be open to patients with emergencies starting 9 p.m.

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