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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Health is reporting 5,352 additional test-confirmed cases of COVID-19 and nine deaths from the disease Saturday.
The results come one day after the department reported an "artificially low" number of cases due to "significant technical difficulties." The health department said "approximately 1,300" of Saturday's reported cases would have been reported Friday if not for the technical problems — meaning the state still saw about 4,000 new reported cases Saturday, rivaling and possibly exceeding the record set on Thursday.
With the update, Utah has now seen 151,141 diagnosed COVID-19 cases, 710 deaths and 6,676 total hospitalizations since the pandemic began. Currently, 487 Utahns are reported to be hospitalized with the virus and 184 of those patients are in intensive care.
The health department said the nine new deaths reported include:
- A Salt Lake County man between ages 25 and 44 who was hospitalized when he died
- A Salt Lake County man between ages 45 and 64 who was not hospitalized
- A Washington County man between ages 65 and 84 who was hospitalized
- A Washington County woman between ages 65 and 84 who was hospitalized
- A Tooele County woman between ages 65 and 84 who was not hospitalized
- A Summit County woman between ages 65 and 84 who was the resident of a long-term care facility
- A Utah County woman between ages 65 and 84 who was hospitalized
- Two Davis County women between ages 65 and 84 who were hospitalized
This marks the second reported coronavirus-related death in Summit County since the pandemic began. That is the fewest in any health district in Utah; some health districts comprise single counties, while other rural districts include several. Some rural counties have seen as few deaths, individually.
Meanwhile, Salt Lake and Utah counties together now account for about 64% of the state's virus deaths.
Over the past week, the state is averaging 2,957 new cases per day and a positive test percentage of 23.6. The health department reports that 17,544 new people were tested over Friday's numbers; overall, the state has now conducted at least 1,724,263 total tests on 1,234,250 different people.
A total of 42 Utahns were reported to have died of the coronavirus between Monday and Friday this week.
Under Gov. Gary Herbert's current emergency order, the entire state of Utah is under a mask mandate in public spaces. Additionally, the emergency order asks Utahns to limit their casual social gatherings to other members of their own household for another week until Nov. 23. Most after-school extracurricular activities have also been postponed until that time.
This week
- Friday: In 'artificially low' count, 2,150 more COVID-19 cases, 14 deaths reported Friday in Utah
- Thursday: 'At the breaking point': Utah shatters single-day COVID-19 record with 3,919 new cases, 9 deaths
- Wednesday: 2,335 more COVID-19 cases, 6 deaths reported in Utah Wednesday
- Tuesday: 2,517 more COVID-19 cases, 11 deaths reported in Utah Tuesday
- Monday: Utahns urged to follow new COVID-19 health order as state sees 2,247 new cases, 2 deaths
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.
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.
