SALT LAKE CITY — As the number of COVID-19 cases across Utah continued to grow Wednesday, the acting leader of Utah’s health department clarified the state’s church attendance guidelines and also the department’s decision to deny Washington County’s attempt to further loosen coronavirus-related restrictions.

Maj. Gen. Jefferson Burton, acting director for the Utah Department of Health, commented on various topics as state health officials reported 146 new COVID-19 cases in the state and two new deaths.

Case counts increase; 2 new deaths reported

There are now 5,595 confirmed cases in Utah, with 464 hospitalizations and 58 total deaths from the disease, following the health department's update Wednesday.

State health officials said the two latest deaths were women from Salt Lake County who were both at long-term care facilities. One of the women was between 18-60 years old and the other was older than 85; both had underlying medical conditions.

There were previously 5,449 cases in the state. The new numbers indicate a 2.7% increase in positive cases since Tuesday. Of the 131,002 people tested in Utah so far, 4.3% have tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, 2,509 Utahns have recovered from the coronavirus, which equates to 46% of all cases.

"We would, ideally, like to see that positive rate drop," said state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn during Wednesday's news conference. "A really good sign is that we've plateaued. Our cases for almost about two weeks now have stayed steady. We haven't yet seen the drop and that's what we're looking for in public health to really feel confident that we have this thing under control."

The total number of cases reported by the health department includes all cases of COVID-19 since Utah’s outbreak began, including those who are infected now, those who have recovered from the disease and those who have died.

Clarification on church closures

Citing confusion over the state’s 20-person limit guidelines, Burton said that the state has updated its policy to allow churches to reopen given that parishioners follow physical distancing rules.

This means people would be able to attend services if they remain 6 feet apart from fellow churchgoers. Burton said physical distancing is a "non-negotiable" stipulation and added that leaders of various religions may also want to consider increasing the number of services held to reduce the number of people attending each service.

He also stated that Utah's limit of 20 people still applies for public and family gatherings.

Why state denied Washington County's attempt to go "yellow"

The Utah Department of Health recently denied a request by Washington County leaders to further loosen COVID-19 restrictions by jumping into Utah's low-risk, or "yellow," phase.

In a letter addressed to Washington County Commissioners Dean Cox, Colton Iverson and Gil Almquist dated Friday, Burton told the leaders that "it is extremely important for the entire State of Utah to be cautious during this initial re-opening phase" and that the state will remain in a moderate, or "orange," phase until at least May 15. A copy of the letter was posted on social media.

When asked about that letter Wednesday, Burton understands why there's frustration over the restrictions in place because they do put a strain on the economy. He also said the decision was made so that reopening the economy anywhere in Utah isn't "rushed too quickly."

"Those requests that are come up are reviewed by myself and then approved by the governor. We've very aware of the personal impact this stuff has," he said. "We hear you in St. George ... the communication lines are open and we will address any question or concern that you have."

Speaking with St. George News on Tuesday, Cox said there are people in Washington County eager to return to work. The county lies within the Southwest Utah Public Health Department, along with Beaver, Garfield, Iron and Kane counties. As of Wednesday, that district has reported 128 cases and three deaths since the outbreak began.

"I personally feel that individuals such as myself, who are immunocompromised or are in a higher risk category, that we are the ones that are most responsible for our behavior and it’s incumbent on us to ensure our own safety," Cox told the news outlet.

Asymptomatic testing update

Dunn explained earlier this week that asymptomatic testing will play a role as the state moves forward from the pandemic in the coming months. That's because it can better track all people carrying the coronavirus regardless of symptoms.

Burton said Wednesday that about 120 additional National Guardsmen will be brought in to help test all workers at long-term care facilities for COVID-19, as well as those vulnerable for severe cases of the disease in communities where there is an outbreak.

"We're striving to do that in a way that gives us more data," he said. "And it helps to give people more confidence as the economy slowly comes back to normal."

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