2,612 more COVID-19 cases, 24 deaths reported on Wednesday in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY – The number of COVID-19 cases in Utah increased by 2,612 on Wednesday, with another 24 deaths reported, according to the Utah Department of Health.

The health department estimates that there are 55,558 active cases of COVID-19 in Utah on Wednesday. The average number of positive cases per day for seven days is now 2,419, according to the health department. The positive test rate per day for that period is now 23.7%.

The new figures indicate a 1% increase in positive cases since Tuesday. Of the 1,666,879 people tested for COVID-19 in Utah so far, 15.5% tested positive for COVID-19. An additional 9,601 new people were tested for COVID-19 on Wednesday, while a total of 17,391 more tests were performed, state data show.

There are now 560 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, state data show. Of these, 198 were occupying intensive care unit beds in Utah on Wednesday. About 90% of Utah’s total ICU beds are occupied on Wednesday, including about 92% of the ICU beds in the state’s 16 referral hospitals, according to the health department.

About 53% of hospital beds outside the ICU are now occupied in Utah.

A total of 11,380 COVID-19 vaccines have already been administered in Utah, compared to 8,518 on Tuesday, state data show. The number of vaccines sent to Utah has more than tripled since Tuesday – there are now 75,200 doses in the state, compared with 25,000 on Tuesday. However, health officials say there is a delay of up to seven days in reporting from the moment vaccines are sent to Utah, administered to patients and reported to the health department.

The 24 deaths reported on Wednesday were:

  • Two Utah County women aged 65 to 84 years and living in 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 over 85 and living in long-term care facilities
  • A woman from Weber County who was over 85 years old and a resident of a long-term care institution
  • 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 Salt Lake County man who was between 45 and 64 years old and was hospitalized when he died
  • A Davis County man who was over 85 and was 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 institution
  • A man from Salt Lake County who was over 85 years old and was hospitalized when he died
  • Two Utah County men aged 65 to 84 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 totals give Utah 257,697 confirmed cases, with 10,327 hospitalizations and 1,196 deaths from the disease. It is estimated that a total of 200,943 Utah COVID-19 cases have been recovered, state data show.

There is no COVID-19 press conference scheduled for this week. The health department will not update Utah’s COVID-19 statistics on Friday in keeping with the Christmas holiday.

Methodology:

The test results now include data from PCR tests and antigen tests. Positive results from the COVID-19 test are reported to the health department immediately after they are confirmed, but negative test results can take 24 to 72 hours.

The total number of cases reported by the Utah Department of Health each day includes all cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the Utah outbreak, including those who are infected, those who have recovered from the disease and those who have died.

Recovered cases are defined as anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 three or more weeks ago and has not died.

Referral hospitals are Utah’s 16 hospitals capable of providing the best COVID-19 healthcare.

Deaths reported by the state typically occurred two to seven days before they were reported, according to the health department. Some deaths can be even older, especially if the person is from Utah, but died in another state.

The health department reports deaths from confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases according to the case definition outlined by the State Council and Territorial Epidemiologists. Death counts are subject to change as case investigations are completed.

For deaths reported as deaths from COVID-19, the person would not have died if they did not have COVID-19, according to the health department.

The data included in this story mainly reflects the state of Utah as a whole. For more localized data, visit your local health district’s website.

More information about Utah’s health guidance levels is available at coronavirus.utah.gov/utah-health-guidance-levels.

The information is 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

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