SALT LAKE CITY – The number of COVID-19 cases in Utah increased by 2,614 on Wednesday, with another 21 deaths reported, according to an update provided by the Utah Department of Health.
The new COVID-19 case numbers indicate a 1% increase in positive cases since Tuesday. The average number of positive cases per day for seven days is now 2,033, according to the health department. The positive test rate per day for that period is now 25%. There are now 484 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, state data show.
Of the 21 new deaths, nine were from Salt Lake County and five from Utah County, but the department reported new deaths across the state. The complete list provided by the department was:
- A Davis County man aged 45 to 64 and hospitalized at the time of death
- Davis County woman and resident of long-term care institution over 85 years old
- A Salt Lake County man aged 65 to 84 who was not hospitalized at the time of death
- A Salt Lake County man aged 65 to 84 years and hospitalized at the time of death
- A Salt Lake County man aged 65 to 84 years and hospitalized at the time of death
- A Salt Lake County man who lives in an 85-year-old long-term care institution
- A man from Salt Lake County who lives in a long-term care institution over 85 years old
- A woman from Salt Lake County over 85 and hospitalized at the time of death
- A Salt Lake County man aged 65 to 84 years and hospitalized at the time of death
- A Salt Lake County man aged 65 to 84 who was not hospitalized at the time of death
- A Salt Lake County woman is a resident of a long-term care institution between the ages of 45 and 64
- A Sanpete County man who lives in a long-term care institution between the ages of 65 and 84
- A man from Sanpete County between the ages of 65 and 84 and hospitalized at the time of death
- A man from Uintah County aged 65 to 84 years and hospitalized at the time of death
- A Utah county man aged 65 to 84 years and hospitalized at the time of death
- A Utah County man who lives in an 85-year-old long-term care institution
- A Utah County man who lives in a long-term care institution between the ages of 65 and 84
- A Utah County woman who lives in an 85-year-old long-term care institution
- A Utah county man aged 65 to 84 years and hospitalized at the time of death
- A Washington County man who lives in a long-term care institution between the ages of 65 and 84
- A Weber County man over 85 and hospitalized at the time of death
Utah now has 271,940 confirmed cases, with 10,873 hospitalizations and 1,256 deaths from the disease since March, after Wednesday’s total.
Vaccinations increasing slowly
A total of 23,970 Utahns have already been vaccinated for COVID-19, according to the health department. Rich Lakin, Utah Department of Health’s immunization program manager, said on Wednesday that vaccinations are increasing now and about 6,500 people have been vaccinated in the past two days, which represents about a quarter of all vaccinations since the beginning of the process on December 15.
Although the process is starting to get faster, he said the state’s original timetable for completing vaccination rounds and reaching new groups is likely to be delayed. He added that the state ordered its second round of vaccination doses for people who received their first round of immunization. The second round of doses for those already vaccinated will start next week and will be counted in a separate statistic from the health department.
This story will be updated.
Carter Williams