SALT LAKE CITY – The number of COVID-19 cases in Utah rose 2,612 on Wednesday, with another 24 deaths reported, according to the Utah Department of Health.
The Department of Health estimates that there are 55,558 active cases of COVID-19 in Utah as of Wednesday. The average continuous number of seven positive days a day is now 2,419, according to the health department. The positive daily test rate for that time period is now 23.7%.
The new figures indicate a 1% increase in positive cases on Tuesday. Of the 1,666,879 people tested for COVID-19 in Utah so far, 15.5% tested positive for COVID-19. Another 9,601 new people have been tested for COVID-19 since Wednesday, while a total of 17,391 additional tests have been performed, state data show.
There are now 560 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, state data show. Of those, 198 have been occupying intensive care unit beds in Utah since Wednesday. About 90 percent of all UTI beds in Utah are filled Wednesday, including about 92 percent of ICU beds in the state’s 16 referral hospitals, according to the health department.
About 53% of non-ICU hospital beds are now filled in Utah.
A total of 11,380 COVID-19 vaccines have now been administered in Utah, up from 8,518 on Tuesday, state data show. The number of vaccines shipped to Utah has tripled since Tuesday – there are now 75,200 doses in the state, compared to 25,000 on Tuesday. However, health officials say there is a reporting delay of up to seven days from the time the vaccines are shipped to Utah, administered to patients and reported to the health department.
The 24 deaths reported on Wednesday were:
- Two women in Utah County who were between the ages of 65 and 84 and were residents of long-term care facilities
- A woman from Salt Lake County who was over 85 years old and was hospitalized when she died
- Two women from Salt Lake County who are over 85 years old and have been residents of long-term care facilities
- A Weber County woman over the age of 85 who was a resident of a long-term care facility
- Four women from Salt Lake County who were between 65 and 84 years old and were hospitalized when they died
- A woman from Tooele County who was between 45 and 64 years old and was hospitalized when she died
- A woman from Morgan County who was between 65 and 84 years old and was hospitalized when she died
- A woman from Sanpete County, who was between 65 and 84 years old and was hospitalized when she died
- A woman from Weber County, who was between 45 and 64 years old and was hospitalized when she died
- Three men from Salt Lake County who were between 65 and 84 years old and were hospitalized when they died
- A man from Salt Lake County who was between 45 and 64 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- A man from Davis County who was over 85 years old and a resident of a long-term care institution
- A man from Weber County who was over 85 years old and a resident of a long-term care institution
- A man from Salt Lake County who was over 85 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- Two men from Utah County who were between 65 and 84 years old and were hospitalized when they died
- A man from Weber County who was between 45 and 64 years old and was hospitalized when he died
Wednesday’s total provides Utah with 257,697 confirmed cases in total, with 10,327 total hospitalizations and 1,196 total deaths from the disease. A total of 200,943 cases in Utah COVID-19 are now estimated to be recovered, state data show.
There is no COVID-19 press conference scheduled for this week. The U.S. Department of Health will not update Utah’s COVID-19 statistics Friday with respect to the Christmas holiday.
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 may not 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