Coronavirus updates: 332 new cases Sunday; no new deaths

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SALT LAKE CITY — Here are the latest coronavirus-related updates from Utah and around the world.

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Sunday, 11:49pm

Pandemic leads to a bicycle boom, and shortage, around world

Fitness junkies locked out of gyms, commuters fearful of public transit, and families going stir crazy inside their homes during the coronavirus pandemic have created a boom in bicycle sales unseen in decades. In the United States, bicycle aisles at mass merchandisers like Walmart and Target have been swept clean, and independent shops are doing a brisk business and are selling out of affordable “family” bikes. Bicycle sales over the past two months saw their biggest spike in the U.S. since the oil crisis of the 1970s, said Jay Townley, who analyzes cycling industry trends at Human Powered Solutions. “People quite frankly have panicked, and they’re buying bikes like toilet paper,” Townley said, referring to the rush to buy essentials like toilet paper and hand sanitizer that stores saw at the beginning of the pandemic. The trend is mirrored around the globe. —Associated Press Read the full article here.

Sunday, 11:46pm

Accuracy still unknown for many coronavirus tests rushed out

How accurate are the coronavirus tests used in the U.S.? Months into the outbreak, no one really knows how well many of the screening tests work, and experts at top medical centers say it is time to do the studies to find out. When the new virus began spreading, the Food and Drug Administration used its emergency powers to OK scores of quickly devised tests, based mainly on a small number of lab studies showing they could successfully detect the virus. That’s very different from the large patient studies that can take weeks or months, which experts say are needed to provide a true sense of testing accuracy. The FDA’s speedy response came after it was initially criticized for delaying the launch of new tests during a crisis and after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stumbled in getting its own test out to states. But with the U.S. outbreak nearly certain to stretch on for months or even years, some experts want the FDA to demand better evidence of the tests’ accuracy so doctors know how many infections might be missed. — Associated Press Read the full article here.

Sunday, 12:53pm

No COVID-19 deaths this weekend in Utah

The Utah Department of Health's daily report Sunday shows an additional 332 Utahns have tested positive for COVID-19. But for the second day in a row, no coronavirus-related deaths were reported. The numbers bring Utah's total coronavirus cases to 14,313, up from 13,981 confirmed cases the day before. Utah remains at 139 coronavirus-related deaths, and 8,252 Utahns are estimated to have recovered from COVID-19. The state reported the results of an additional 4,931 coronavirus tests over Saturday's numbers. According to the health department, 137 Utahns are currently hospitalized with positive COVID-19 cases. — Graham Dudley, KSL.com

Sunday, 12:07pm

Coronavirus impacting Utah governor's race

Utah’s four Republican candidates for governor are preparing for the final weeks of campaigning before the primary election. At the same time, two of the campaigns have been hit with cases of COVID-19. Jon Huntsman Jr. and five of his staff members tested positive for the virus. One staff member who tested positive is already out of quarantine, while the rest remain isolated, according to the campaign. A staff member for fellow GOP candidate Thomas Wright has also tested positive for COVID-19. Wright told KSL that he received test results on Friday that showed he tested negative for the virus. He said two other campaign workers also tested negative. As for the gubernatorial debate scheduled for Tuesday, June 16, Wright and Huntsman confirmed that they will participate. — Ladd Egan, KSL TV

Sunday, 08:55am

84 new cases, 5 deaths in the Navajo Nation

The Navajo Nation, a sovereign tribe partially located in Utah that has been hit hard by the novel coronavirus, reported 84 new cases of COVID-19 and five new deaths Sunday. The tribe has tested more than 20% of its population and has reported a total of 6,554 cases. "On the Navajo Nation, we have to stay the course and we have to think of others before we go out into public," Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said in a statement. "We no longer have the highest number of cases per capita and it’s because we implemented proactive preventative measures that are still in place. We are also testing our people at a much higher rate than anywhere else in the country." — Graham Dudley, KSL.com

Sunday, 08:55am