SALT LAKE CITY – The number of COVID-19 cases in Utah increased by 2,899 on Wednesday, with another 27 deaths reported, according to the Utah Department of Health.
Nine of those deaths occurred before December 23, according to the health department. The agency also reported 2,289 new retroactive COVID-19 cases that were diagnosed as early as June, but have not been reported as Utah’s COVID-19 cases until now due to incomplete or unverified patient address information.
The health department now estimates that there are 55,544 active cases of COVID-19 in Utah. The average number of positive cases per day over seven days is now 2,840, according to the health department. After rising above 30% last week, the average seven-day positive test rate has declined in the past few days and is now at 27.8%.
A total of 124,884 vaccines were administered in the state, compared to 110,530 on Tuesday.
Wednesday’s new case numbers indicate a 0.9% increase in positive cases since Tuesday. Of the 1,855,385 people tested for COVID-19 in Utah so far, 17% tested positive for the disease. The number of tests performed increased by 14,228 on Wednesday, and 12,272 of them were tests from people who had not previously been tested for the disease, according to the health department.
There are 566 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, including 194 in intensive care, state data show. About 90% of all beds in intensive care units in Utah are occupied on Wednesday, including about 93% of the ICU beds in the state’s 16 referral hospitals. About 53% of Utah’s non-ICU hospital beds are currently occupied, according to data from the health department.
The 27 deaths reported on Wednesday were:
- A man from Carbon County who was between 65 and 84 years old and was not hospitalized when he died
- A Davis County man who was over 85 and was not hospitalized when he died
- A man from Salt Lake County who was between 65 and 84 years old and a resident of a long-term care institution
- A man from Uintah County who was between 65 and 84 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- A man from Utah County who was over 85 and was hospitalized when he died
- Two Utah County men aged 45 to 64 and were hospitalized when they died
- A Utah county man who was aged 65 to 84 and was a resident of a long-term care facility
- A Utah county man who was 65 to 84 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- Two Washington County men aged 65 to 84 and were hospitalized when they died
- Two Washington County men who were over 85 and were hospitalized when they died
- A Washington County man who was between 45 and 64 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- A man from Weber County who was between 65 and 84 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- An Iron County woman who was between 65 and 84 years old and was not hospitalized when she died
- A woman from Juab County who was over 85 years old and a resident of a long-term institution
- Salt Lake County woman over 85 years old and resident in a long-term care facility
- A woman from Tooele County who was between 65 and 84 years old and was hospitalized when she died
- A woman from Tooele County who was between 65 and 84 years old and a resident of a long-term institution
- A woman from Uintah County who was between 65 and 84 years old and was hospitalized when she died
- A woman from Utah County who was over 85 years old and a resident of a long-term care facility
- A woman from Washington County who was between 45 and 64 years old and was hospitalized when she died
- A woman from Washington County who was 65 to 84 years old and was hospitalized when she died
- A Washington County woman who was over 85 and was not hospitalized when she died
- A Washington County woman who was between 25 and 44 years old and was hospitalized when she died
- A woman from Weber County who was between 65 and 84 years old and was hospitalized when she died
Wednesday’s total gives Utah 314,817 confirmed cases, with 12,160 hospitalizations and 1,449 deaths from the disease. A total of 257,824 Utah COVID-19 cases are now estimated to be recovered, according to the health department.
There is no COVID-19 press conference scheduled for Wednesday. Utah officials often provide updates at press conferences once a week, on Wednesdays or Thursdays.
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