SALT LAKE CITY – Another 462 COVID-19 cases were reported Monday, with two more deaths, according to Utah Department of Health officials.
According to the health department, the average number of positive cases per day for 7 days is 951. The average fell below 1,000 on Friday for the first time since October 2, according to the agency.
3,313 Utahn tests and another 6,644 tests were reported on Monday. The seven-day average positivity of the “people over people” state decreased to 14.1%, while the “test over test” rate decreased to 6.4%.
Health Department officials said a Weber County man and a Utah County man died from the coronavirus. Both were between 65 and 84 years old and both were hospitalized at the time of their death.
State data show that there are currently 274 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, as the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations continues to decline. The intensive care units of the state reference center were listed at 79% capacity, and the ICUs were at 75% capacity at the state level on Monday. Both figures are now below maximum use and slightly above the country’s target of 77% for referral centers and 72% for state-level ICUs.
While COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to decline, the number of COVID-19 vaccinations is slowly increasing – which is another positive sign. The state reports another 1,033 COVID-19 vaccinations since its update Sunday. A total of 525,033 Utahns have now received the COVID-19 vaccine since December last year.
Monday’s total offers Utah 361,756 confirmed cases in total since March 2020, with 14,209 total hospitalizations and 1,796 total deaths from the disease.
There is no COVID-19 press conference scheduled for Monday, as government offices are closed for the holidays. The next briefing is scheduled for Thursday.
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.