SALT LAKE CITY – The number of COVID-19 cases in Utah rose 3,318 on Tuesday, with seven more deaths reported as the positive test rate continued to rise, according to the Utah Department of Health.
There are now approximately 51,443 active cases of COVID-19 in Utah, state data show. According to the health department, the average number of positive cases per day for seven days is now 2,800. The positive daily test rate for that time period is now a record 32.1%, up from 30.8% months.
The new figures show a 1.2% increase in positive cases on Monday. Of the 1,762,178 people tested for COVID-19 in Utah so far, 16.5% tested positive for COVID-19. The number of tests performed increased by 17,539 on Tuesday, and 9,854 of these tests were people who had not been previously tested for the disease, state data show.
There are currently 510 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, including 177 in intensive care, according to health department data. About 84 percent of intensive care unit beds have been filled in Utah since Tuesday, including about 84 percent of ICU beds in the state’s 16 referral hospitals.
A total of 55,981 first doses of COVID-19 vaccine have now been administered in Utah, according to the health department. A total of 150,125 vaccine doses have now been shipped to the state, although health officials note that there is a delay in reporting data between the time the doses are shipped, administered to patients and then reported to the health department.
The seven deaths reported on Tuesday were:
- A man from Weber County who was between 65 and 84 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- A man from Salt Lake County who was between 45 and 64 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- A man from Washington County who was between 65 and 84 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- A man from Utah County, who was between 65 and 84 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- Two women in Washington County who are over 85 and not hospitalized when they die
- A man from Davis County who was between 65 and 84 years old and was hospitalized when he died
Tuesday’s total gives Utah 288,951 confirmed cases in total, with 11,356 total hospitalizations and 1,312 total deaths from the disease. An estimated 236,196 cases of Utah COVID-19 are now considered recovered, according to the health department.
There is no COVID-19 press conference scheduled for Tuesday. Utah officials usually provide updates at press conferences once a week on Wednesday or 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 upon 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 State Council and Territorial Epidemiologists. 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