Utah reports another 467 cases of coronavirus on Saturday.
(Francisco Kjolseth | Photo from the Tribune archive) Nurse Julia Paas, on the right, reviews information with Betsy Altschuler as she prepares to receive her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at Utah Film Studios in Park City on Thursday, 18 March 2021.
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Another 467 Utahns tested positive for coronavirus, state health officials said on Saturday, but the number of people hospitalized and seriously ill with the disease fell on the last day.
The daily test’s positivity rate was slightly below the seven-day average, although an infectious disease physician on Friday expressed concern that the daily case count in the state may be stagnating rather than continuing to drop and encouraged people to don’t let your guard down yet.
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson said on Saturday that she did not rule out trying to pass a local mask mandate after April 10, when statewide facial coverage requirements would end under a recently passed bill by the Utah Legislature. The move, which has not yet been sanctioned by Governor Spencer Cox, would allow county and city councils to enact their own mandates – but they will also expire once the state reaches certain virus containment standards.
Utah is already close to reaching the limits set in the bill.
Wilson said the most likely scenario for a countywide mandate would be if the health department recommended one and the county council approved it.
“We are currently working on these options and are awaiting approval of the bill,” she said.
The state’s two top local leaders are now in a similar stance when it comes to the possibility of enacting mask warrants after April 10, with Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, saying earlier this week that city prosecutors are evaluating the option. Mendenhall also asked local companies to continue to apply the masks until public health officials say it is safe to be without them, and Wilson said he supports this advice.
Vaccine doses administered the previous day / total doses administered • 25,861 / 1,137,046.
Fully vaccinated Utahns • 413,058.
Cases reported the previous day • 467.
Deaths reported the day before • two
Davis County reported a single death: a man between 65 and 84 years old.
There was a reported death in Weber County, a 65- to 85-year-old man.
Hospitalizations reported the previous day • 160. Reduction of 16 compared to Friday. Of those currently hospitalized, 57 are in intensive care units – four fewer than on Friday.
Tests reported the day before • 6,451 people were tested for the first time. A total of 14,990 people were tested.
Percentage of positive tests • In the original state method, the rate is 7.1%. This is less than the 8.1% seven-day average.
His new method counts all test results, including repeated tests from the same individual. Saturday’s rate is now at 3.1%, below the seven-day average of 4.1%.
[Read more: Utah is changing how it measures the rate of positive COVID-19 tests. Here’s what that means.]
Totals to date • 381,254 cases; 2,060 deaths; 15,267 hospitalizations; 2,327,182 people tested.
– Tribune reporter Leia Larsen contributed to this report.