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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Health Sunday is reporting 2,667 new test-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state and eight new deaths from the disease.
It says 484 Utahns are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 — 186 of those patients in intensive care — and that 10,485 new people were tested over yesterday's numbers.
Overall, that brings the state to 153,808 total confirmed cases, 718 deaths and 6,769 hospitalizations since the pandemic began. Of the total cases, 48,773 are considered active and 104,317 are considered recovered.
In an email, the health department said the eight new reported deaths included:
- A Cache County woman over age 85 who was the resident of a long-term care facility
- A Garfield County man over age 85 who was hospitalized when he died
- A Salt Lake County man over age 85 who was hospitalized
- A Utah County man over age 85 who was not hospitalized
- A Utah County man between ages 65 and 84 who was hospitalized
- A Washington County man between ages 45 and 64 who was the resident of a long-term care facility
- A Washington County woman between ages 65 and 84 who was hospitalized
- A Weber County man between ages 65 and 84 who was hospitalized
Since last Sunday, the state has reported 59 coronavirus-related deaths.
Over the past week, Utah is averaging 2,985 new COVID-19 cases reported per day and a positive test percentage of 24.3. One month ago, those numbers were 1,204 cases and 13.9%; on Sept. 15 they were 522 and 10.6%.
Saturday saw Utah's highest daily case total yet, with more than 5,300 cases reported. About 1,300 of those cases were from Friday; however, 4,000 new cases would still be the most Utah has reported in a single day.
The fall surge in cases prompted Gov. Gary Herbert to issue a statewide mask mandate one week ago and to encourage Utahns not to socialize with people outside their homes, or participate in extracurricular school activities, for the time being. Those two provisions of the emergency order are scheduled to expire in one week, but the mask mandate "will be extended for the foreseeable future," according to the state's coronavirus response website.
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.
