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SALT LAKE CITY — Ten more people have died from COVID-19 in Utah, setting a new record Tuesday for the state's highest number of reported deaths in a day so far during the pandemic, according to the Utah Department of Health.
Utah’s total number of cases increased by 448 from Monday, the health department reported. The state now estimates there are 12,142 active cases of the disease in the state.
The seven-day average of daily new cases is now 635.7 cases per day, down from 655.6 on Monday, according to the health department. The positive test rate average over that time period is 10.2% positive per day, up 0.1% from Monday, state data shows.
The previous highest single-day death total was eight on June 12, according to state data. Though there were a high number of deaths reported Tuesday, hospitalizations were down in Utah overall. There are currently 176 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Utah, down from 207 hospitalized on Monday, according to the health department. There were 38 new hospitalizations reported Tuesday, and 80 COVID-19-positive people are in intensive care unit, or ICU, beds across the state.
About 65% of the state's ICU beds were occupied as of Tuesday, Utah health data shows. Just under 45% of the state's non-ICU beds are occupied, according to the health department.
Six of the deaths reported Tuesday were from San Juan County, where a major COVID-19 outbreak at a long-term care facility affected at least 25 residents last week. Though three of the San Juan County deaths reported Tuesday were people from long-term care facilities, it's not clear if they are connected to the outbreak there.
The ten deaths reported Tuesday were:
- Two San Juan County men who were older than 85 and were long-term care facility residents
- One San Juan County man who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was a long-term care facility resident
- One San Juan County man who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was hospitalized when he died
- One San Juan County woman who was over the age of 85 and was hospitalized when she died
- One San Juan County woman who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was hospitalized when she died
- One Weber County man who was between the ages of 45 and 64 and was a long-term care facility resident
- One Iron County woman who was over the age of 85 and was hospitalized when she died
- One Cache County woman who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was a long-term care facility resident
- One Utah County man who was between the ages of 65 and 84. It is unknown if he was hospitalized when he died.
The three people from San Juan County who were hospitalized actually died several weeks or months ago, but their deaths are just now being reported because of missing medical information, the Deseret News reported: The woman between the ages of 65 and 84 died earlier this month. The man who was between the ages of 65 and 84 died in June. The woman who was over the age of 85 died in May.
Tuesday’s totals give Utah 30,478 total confirmed cases, with 1,888 total hospitalizations and 226 total deaths from the disease. Previously, there were 30,030 cases in the state.
The new numbers indicate a 1.5% increase in positive cases since Monday. Of the 424,521 tests conducted in Utah so far, 7.2% were positive for COVID-19. The number of tests conducted has increased by 6,186, health officials reported Tuesday.
A total of 18,111 Utah COVID-19 cases are now considered recovered. Anyone who was diagnosed with the disease three or more weeks ago who has not died is considered to be recovered.
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.
Utah health officials are not expected to hold a COVID-19 news conference Tuesday. News conferences are typically held once a week on Wednesdays or Thursdays.
