SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Department of Health reported 1,468 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state on Saturday, as well as eight new deaths from the disease.
This takes Utah to a total of 345,430 reported cases and 1,663 deaths since the pandemic began.
The new cases arrive when 8,768 more people have been tested. Last week, Utah registered an average of 1,509 new cases of COVID-19 per day and a positive test rate of 18%.
There are currently 430 Utahns hospitalized due to COVID-19, the health department says, bringing the total number of hospitalizations during the pandemic to 13,427. Of those hospitalized, 139 are reportedly in intensive care, contributing to the current ICU capacity across the state of just over 86%.
All of these metrics have been moving in a positive direction since last week. The percentage of positive rolling test fell by about one point, and the average number of cases in seven days fell by about 300 cases. There are 51 Utahns less hospitalized and 57 less in intensive care.
The health department says the state has so far administered 300,516 doses of the coronavirus vaccine, almost 19,000 more than yesterday and almost 80,000 more than last Saturday. Almost 58,000 of the vaccines administered were secondary doses; both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses for maximum effect.
The eight deaths reported on Saturday include:
- A man from Cache County between 65 and 84 who was hospitalized when he died
- A Davis County man between 65 and 84 who was hospitalized
- A woman from Salt Lake County over 85 who was no hospitalized when she died
- A man from Salt Lake County between 45 and 64 who was hospitalized
- A woman from Salt Lake County between 45 and 64 who was hospitalized
- A Salt Lake County man over 85 who was hospitalized
- A woman from Salt Lake County between 65 and 84 who was hospitalized
- A Weber County woman over 85 who was a resident of a long-term care institution
There is no press conference by state leaders on the coronavirus scheduled for the weekend.
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.
Graham Dudley