SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s number of COVID-19 cases has increased by 1,081 on Tuesday, with five more deaths reported, according to the Utah Department of Health.
The rolling seven-day average number of positive cases per day is now at 1,251, according to the health department. The positive test rate per day for that time period is now 14.8%.
The new numbers indicate a 1.1% increase in positive cases since Monday. Of the 986,424 people tested for COVID-19 in Utah so far, 9.9% have tested positive for the disease. The state reported an increase of 5,765 tests conducted as of Tuesday.
There are currently 291 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Utah, including 104 in intensive care unit beds across the state. About 69% of ICUs are occupied statewide as of Tuesday, while about 46% of non-ICU beds are filled, state data shows.
The five deaths reported Tuesday include:
- A San Juan County man who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was not hospitalized when he died
- A Utah County woman who was over the age of 85 and was a resident of a long-term care facility
- A Salt Lake County man who was over the age of 85 and was not hospitalized when he died
- A Salt Lake County woman who was over the age of 85 and was hospitalized when she died
- A Cache County man who was between the ages of 45 and 64 and was hospitalized when he died
Tuesday’s totals give Utah 96,643 total confirmed cases, with 4,753 total hospitalizations and 551 total deaths from the disease. A total of 71,693 Utah COVID-19 cases are now considered recovered.
Under the state’s new transmission index system, state health officials are set to review each Utah county’s transmission level Wednesday, and any changes will be posted on the state’s coronavirus dashboard on Thursday, according to the health department.
Per the new guidelines, counties can’t move down to a lower transmission level until they’ve spent at least two weeks at their current level. That means that Cache, Garfield, Juab, Salt Lake, Utah and Wasatch counties will remain at the “high” transmission level for at least another week since they were rated at that level last week when the state announced the new system.
Other counties may move up to a higher transmission level this week, but none will move to a lower, less-restrictive level.
There is not a COVID-19 news conference scheduled for Tuesday. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert is scheduled to participate in his monthly PBS Utah news conference on Thursday at 10:30 a.m., where he will likely be discussing coronavirus-related topics.
Methodology:
Test results now include data from PCR tests and antigen tests. Positive COVID-19 test results are reported to the health department immediately after they are confirmed, but negative test results may not be reported for 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 Utah’s outbreak began, including those who are currently infected, those who have recovered from the disease, and those who have died.
Recovered cases are defined as anyone who was diagnosed with COVID-19 three or more weeks ago and has not died.
Deaths reported by the state typically occurred two to seven days prior to when they are reported, according to the health department. Some deaths may be from even further back, especially if the person is from Utah but has died in another state.
The health department reports both confirmed and probable COVID-19 case deaths per the case definition outlined by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. The death counts are subject to change as case investigations are completed.
Data included in this story primarily 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.
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.
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Jacob Klopfenstein