SALT LAKE CITY – The number of COVID-19 cases in Utah increased by 3,318 on Tuesday, with seven more deaths reported as the positive test rate continued to rise, according to the Utah Department of Health.
There are now about 51,443 active cases of COVID-19 in Utah, state data show. The average number of positive cases per day over seven days is now 2,800, according to the health department. The positive test rate per day for that time period is now a record 32.1%, up from 30.8% on Monday.
The new figures indicate an increase of 1.2% in positive cases since Monday. Of the 1,762,178 people tested for COVID-19 in Utah so far, 16.5% tested positive for COVID-19. The number of tests performed increased by 17,539 on Tuesday, and 9,854 of those tests were from people who had not been tested for the disease before, state data show.
There are now 510 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, including 177 in intensive care, data from the health department show. About 84% of the intensive care unit’s beds are occupied in Utah on Tuesday, including about 84% of the ICU beds in the state’s 16 referral hospitals.
A total of 55,981 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have already been administered in Utah, according to the health department. A total of 150,125 doses of vaccines have already been sent to the state, although health officials note that there is a lapse in data reports between the time the doses are sent, administered to patients and then reported to the health department.
The seven deaths reported on Tuesday were:
- A man from Weber County who was between 65 and 84 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- A Salt Lake County man who was between 45 and 64 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- A man from Washington County who was between 65 and 84 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- A Utah county man who was 65 to 84 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- Two women from Washington County who were over 85 years old and were not hospitalized when they died
- A man from Davis County who was between 65 and 84 years old and was hospitalized when he died
Tuesday’s total gives Utah 288,951 confirmed cases, with 11,356 hospitalizations and 1,312 deaths from the disease. It is estimated that 236,196 Utah COVID-19 cases are now considered recovered, according to the health department.
There is no COVID-19 press conference scheduled for Tuesday. 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