SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Department of Health reported 859 new COVID-19 cases Monday, with 2 more deaths, bringing the average number of positive seven-day cases from the state to 1,763. The positive daily test rate for that time period is now 19.2%.
The health department reported that 4,174 more people were tested, bringing the total number of tests since the beginning of the pandemic to 1,969,659.
Monday’s numbers mark the first time in a few weeks that the state has registered less than 1,000 new cases reported daily. The day after Christmas, the health department reported 991 new cases of COVID-19, probably a smaller-than-normal number due to the closure of test sites during the holiday. Prior to that, the last time Utah reported less than 1,000 new cases in its daily update appears to be on Oct. 13, when 987 new cases were announced by the health department.
A total of 459 COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized in Utah, with 179 of these patients in the intensive care unit, state data show. The health department says another 1,227 vaccines have been administered since Sunday’s report, for a total of 229,575 so far.
Monday’s total provides Utah with 337,264 confirmed cases, with 13,054 total hospitalizations and 1,597 total deaths from the disease.
The two deaths reported Monday include:
- A woman from Utah County, aged between 45 and 64, who was hospitalized at the time of her death
- A Utah County man between the ages of 65 and 84 who was hospitalized at the time of his death
There is no COVID-19 press conference scheduled for Monday; Governor Spencer Cox and health officials will update the public on Thursday at 11 a.m.
Methodology:
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.
Lauren Bennett