The health department also reported 396 new cases and six deaths on Sunday.
(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) People wear masks while shopping in Ogden, March 10, 2021.
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The daily rate of COVID-19 cases has remained stable recently, after an encouraging decline in recent weeks.
In the past seven days, Utah has seen 3,529 new cases of coronavirus. This decreased slightly compared to the previous week, when the state health department reported 3,615 new cases. In these two weeks, the daily average of new cases is 510.25.
The state’s own control panel indicates that, since March 8, Utah has seen level cases after two months of decline. The last time the state reported a plateau in cases prior to this was on 10 January.
One possible reason for the plateau could be the appearance of several variants of the coronavirus that arrived in the United States in the last few months, raising doubts from state authorities on how to react to them. Variants are believed to spread more easily among people and possibly cause more serious illnesses.
The state recorded 67 cases of the United Kingdom variant (labeled B.1.1.7), but none of the South African (B.1.351) or Brazil (P.1) variants yet. However, the health department’s report on these data is delayed by about two weeks.
The current plateau leaves the state at roughly the same point it was in June, when cases averaged around 470 a day. That was when the state’s epidemiologist, Dr. Angela Dunn, said that the rate of spread would soon justify “a complete shutdown”.
The obvious difference between that scary warning that preceded the huge increase in cases in Utah and now is that Utah has three vaccines. And its spread is increasing. On Sunday, the state health department said it had reached more than 1 million doses administered.
“For those of you who have already had your injections, thank you,” said the state health department. “For the rest of you, please get the vaccine when it’s your turn. That’s how we get our lives back. “
All adults are eligible to schedule vaccination appointments from April 1st. The vaccine clearly helped, as cases among teachers declined, as did outbreaks in nursing homes. And while San Juan County was once one of the hardest hit areas in the country, new infections have now subsided.
Even so, the pandemic is not over. The state reported more deaths from coronavirus this week (51) than the previous week (41). And, the percentage of beds in intensive care units occupied by patients with COVID-19 has fluctuated around 70% for almost two weeks.
Below is an analysis of the coronavirus data released on Sunday by the health department.
Vaccinations given the day before / total vaccinations • 15,861 / 1,009,029.
Fully vaccinated Utahns • 365,176.
Cases reported the previous day • 396.
Deaths reported the day before • 6
• Utah County woman between 65 and 84 years old.
• Three men from Utah County – two between 45 and 64 years old and one between 65 and 84 years old.
• A man from Salt Lake County between 45 and 64 years old.
• A man from Davis County who is over 85 years old.
Hospitalizations reported the previous day • 167. This is 23 as of Saturday. Of those currently hospitalized, 63 are in ICU – four more than on Saturday.
Tests reported the day before • 4,089 people were tested for the first time. A total of 7,397 people were tested.
Totals to date • 378,379 cases; 2,027 deaths; 15,104 hospitalizations; 2,289,803 people tested.