SALT LAKE CITY – The number of COVID-19 cases in Utah rose Wednesday by 2009, with seven more deaths reported, according to the Utah Department of Health.
The Department of Health now estimates that there are 46,034 active cases of the disease in Utah. According to the health department, the average number of positive cases per day for seven days is now 1,758. The positive daily test rate for that period is now 18.4%.
There are 452 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, including 161 in intensive care, state data show. About 84 percent of all beds in intensive care units in Utah have been occupied since Wednesday, including about 89 percent of ICU beds in the state’s 16 referral hospitals, according to the health department. About 52% of non-ICU hospital beds are filled.
A total of 250,448 vaccines were administered in the state, up from 237,637 on Tuesday. Of these, 37,335 are the second vaccine dose, according to state data.
The new figures indicate a 0.6% increase in positive cases on Tuesday. Of the 1,989,106 people tested for COVID-19 in Utah so far, 17.1% tested positive for the disease. The total number of tests performed increased by 16,644 as of Wednesday, and 10,156 of these were tests in people who had not been previously tested for COVID-19, according to the health department.
The seven deaths reported on Wednesday include:
- A man from Grand County who was over 85 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- A man from Millard County, who was between 65 and 84 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- A man from Tooele County who was over 85 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- A man from Utah County who was between 45 and 64 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- A woman from Utah County, who was between 45 and 64 years old and was hospitalized when she died
- A man from Washington County who was between 65 and 84 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- A man from Washington County who was between 65 and 84 years old and a resident of a long-term care institution
Wednesday’s total gives Utah 340,684 confirmed cases, with 13,217 total hospitalizations and 1,620 total deaths from the disease. A total of 293,030 COVID-19 cases in Utah are now considered to be recovered, according to state data.
There is no COVID-19 press conference scheduled for Wednesday. Spencer Cox, the governor of Utah, is scheduled to deliver a pandemic update on Thursday at 11 a.m.
Methodology:
Test results now include data from PCR tests and antigen tests. Positive COVID-19 test results are reported to the health department immediately after confirmation, but negative test results cannot be reported for 24 to 72 hours.
The total number of cases reported daily by the Utah Department of Health includes all COVID-19 cases since the onset of the Utah outbreak, including those currently infected, those recovering from the disease, and those who have died.
Recovered cases are defined as anyone who was diagnosed with COVID-19 three or more weeks ago and did not die.
The referral hospitals are the 16 hospitals in Utah with the capacity to provide the best COVID-19 healthcare.
State-reported deaths usually occurred two to seven days before they are reported, according to the health department. Some deaths may come from the back, especially if the person is from Utah but died in another state.
The Department of Health reports both confirmed and probable deaths in the COVID-19 case, as defined by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiology. The number of deaths may change as case investigations are completed.
For deaths that are reported as COVID-19 deaths, the person would not have died if they did not have COVID-19, according to the health department.
The data included in this story primarily reflects the state of Utah as a whole. For more localized data, visit the local health district website.
More information on Utah health guidance levels is available at coronavirus.utah.gov/utah-health-guidance-levels.
The information comes from the Utah Department of Health and coronavirus.utah.gov/case-counts. For more information on how the Utah Department of Health compiles and reports COVID-19 data, visit coronavirus.utah.gov/case-counts and scroll down to the “Data Notes” section at the bottom of the page.
Jacob Klopfenstein