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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Health on Sunday is reporting 2,083 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Utah and 17 new deaths from the disease.
That brings Utah to 233,904 total confirmed cases and 1,055 deaths since the pandemic began.
In December alone, 184 Utahns are reported to have died. Nearly half — 451 — of Utah's deaths have been announced since November began.
The new figures come as 9,668 more Utahns were tested over Saturday's numbers. Overall, Utah has now conducted 2,340,571 tests on 1,575,222 different people.
There are currently 548 Utahns hospitalized because of the coronavirus, including 215 in intensive care. That number of total hospitalizations is down slightly from the 595 reported a week ago, but the number in intensive care has barely changed from last week's 213. The health department tracks ICU capacity both overall and at "referral centers," or at the 16 hospitals best equipped to care for coronavirus patients. Nearly 97% of all Utah ICU beds are full, the department says, and more than 100% — 469 of 461 available beds — are listed as being full in its referral centers.
Over the past week, the state is averaging 2,633 new cases per day and a positive test percentage of 24.6.
State leaders will give an update on the local coronavirus situation in a news conference later this week; the conference usually occurs on Thursdays.
Utah is expecting to receive its first doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine on Monday and can begin vaccinations this week. The first vaccine shipments in the U.S. left a manufacturing facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Sunday. The vaccine will first be made available in Utah for teachers, frontline health care workers and nursing home residents.
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There was an effort for a flu vaccine in 1918 and reports show it was used in Utah. So what went wrong?In an email, the health department said the new reported deaths included eight residents of long-term care facilities:
- A Utah County woman over age 85
- An Iron County man between ages 65 and 84
- A Weber County man between ages 65 and 84
- A Weber County man over age 85
- A Salt Lake County woman over age 85
- A Salt Lake County man over age 85
- Two Salt Lake County men between ages 65 and 84
They also included six Utahns who were hospitalized when they died:
- A Salt Lake County woman between ages 65 and 84
- A Salt Lake County man between ages 45 and 64
- A Washington County man between ages 45 and 64
- A Washington County woman between ages 25 and 44
- A Utah County woman over age 85
- A Utah County man between ages 65 and 84
Three Utahns who died were not hospitalized at the time:
- A Morgan County man between ages 65 and 84
- A Utah County man over age 85
- A Weber County woman over age 85
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.
Referral hospitals are the 16 Utah hospitals with the capability to provide the best COVID-19 health care.
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.
For deaths that are reported as COVID-19 deaths, the person would not have died if they did not have COVID-19, according to the health department.
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.
More information about Utah's health guidance levels is available at coronavirus.utah.gov/utah-health-guidance-levels.
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.
