SALT LAKE CITY – Utah’s COVID-19 cases rose 2,612 on Wednesday, with a further 24 deaths reported, according to the Utah Department of Health.
The Department of Health estimates that there are 55,558 active COVID-19 cases in Utah as of Wednesday. According to the health service, the rolling seven-day average number of positive cases per Day now 2,419. The positive test percentage per Day in this period is now 23.7%.
The new figures indicate a 1% increase in positive cases since Tuesday. Of the 1,666,879 people tested so far for COVID-19 in Utah, 15.5% have tested positive for COVID-19. A further 9,601 new people were tested for COVID-19 as of Wednesday, while a total of 17,391 more tests were performed, state data shows.
There are now 560 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, state data shows. Of those, 198 occupy beds in intensive care units in Utah as of Wednesday. About 90% of Utah’s total ICU beds are filled on Wednesday, including approx. 92% of ICU beds in the state’s 16 referral hospitals, according to the health department.
About 53% of non-ICU hospital beds are now filled in Utah.
A total of 11,380 COVID-19 vaccines have now been administered in Utah, compared to 8,518 on Tuesday, state data shows. The number of vaccines sent to Utah has more than tripled since Tuesday – there are now 75,200 doses in the state against 25,000 on Tuesday. However, health officials say there is a reporting delay of up to seven days from vaccines being shipped to Utah, administered to patients and reported to the health department.
The 24 deaths reported on Wednesday were:
- Two women in Utah County, aged between 65 and 84, who were residents of long-term care facilities
- A woman in Salt Lake County who was over 85 and was hospitalized when she died
- Two women in Salt Lake County who were over 85 and who were residents of long-term care facilities
- A Weber County woman who was over 85 and was a resident in a long-term care facility
- Four women in Salt Lake County who were between 65 and 84 years old and were hospitalized when they died
- A Tooele County woman who was between 45 and 64 years old and was hospitalized when she died
- A Morgan County woman who was between 65 and 84 years old and was hospitalized when she died
- A woman in Sanpete County who was between 65 and 84 years old and was hospitalized when she died
- A Weber County woman who was between 45 and 64 years old and was hospitalized when she died
- Three men in Salt Lake County who were between 65 and 84 years old and were hospitalized when they died
- A Salt Lake County man who was between 45 and 64 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- A man in Davis County who was over 85 and was living in a long-term care facility
- A Weber County man who was over 85 and was living in a long-term care facility
- A Salt Lake County man who was over 85 and was hospitalized when he died
- Two men in Utah County who were between the ages of 65 and 84 and were hospitalized when they died
- A Weber County man who was between 45 and 64 years old and was hospitalized when he died
Wednesday’s total gives Utah 257,697 total confirmed cases with 10,327 admissions in total and 1,196 total deaths due to the disease. A total of 200,943 Utah COVID-19 cases are estimated to be recovered, state data shows.
No COVID-19 news conference is scheduled for this week. The health department will not update Utah COVID-19 statistics on Friday while observing the Christmas holidays.
Methodology:
Test results now include data from PCR testing and antigen testing. Positive COVID-19 test results are reported to the health department immediately after confirmation, 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 the Utah outbreak began, including those 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.
Referral hospitals are the 16 hospitals in Utah with the ability to provide the best COVID-19 health care.
Deaths reported by the state typically occurred two to seven days before they are reported, according to the health department. Some deaths can come even further back, especially if the person is from Utah but has died in another state.
The Department of Health reports both confirmed and probable deaths in the case of COVID-19 according to the case definition outlined by the State Council and territorial epidemiologists. The death toll may change as case investigations are completed.
For deaths reported as COVID-19 deaths, the person would not have died if they did not have COVID-19, according to the health department.
Data included in this story primarily reflect the state of Utah as a whole. For more localized data, visit your local health district website.
More information on Utah’s health guidance levels can be found at coronavirus.utah.gov/utah-health-guidance-levels.
The information comes from the Utah Department of Health and coronavirus.utah.gov/case-counts. For more information on how the Utah Department of Health collects 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