Utah reports nearly 500 new cases of COVID-19 and five more deaths

After a minimum of nine months, the number of new cases returns to the plateau.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Angela Bolt administers Robert Morarty’s COVID-19 vaccine at the Sandy Mountain America Expo on Monday, March 8, 2021.

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The number of new COVID-19 cases returned on Tuesday, more than doubling after a nine-month low of 221 was reported Monday in Utah. In the meantime, more than twice as many tests were administered.

And after no new coronavirus-related deaths were reported on Monday, the death toll rose five on Tuesday.

Last day vaccine doses / total doses • 16,373 / 1,027,073.

Utahns fully vaccinated • 372,564.

Cases reported the other day • 481.

Deaths reported last day • Five.

Washington County reported two deaths: a man between the ages of 65 and 84 and a man aged 85 or older.

Three counties each reported one death: a woman between the ages of 65 and 84 in Salt Lake County, a woman of the same age in Utah County and a man over the age of 85 in Summit County;

Hospitalizations reported last day • 171. That increased seven months. Of those currently hospitalized, 55 are in intensive care units – four fewer than months.

Tests reported the other day • 5,476 people were tested for the first time. A total of 15,610 people were tested.

Percentage of positive tests • According to the initial state method, the rate is 8.8%. This is slightly higher than the seven-day average of 8.3%.

His new method counts all test results, including repeated tests of the same individual. Monday’s rate is now 3.1%, lower than the seven-day average of 4.1%.

[Read more: Utah is changing how it measures the rate of positive COVID-19 tests. Here’s what that means.]

Totals so far • 379,081 cases; 2,032 deaths; 15,167 hospitalizations; 2,298,572 people tested.

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