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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's number of COVID-19 cases increased by 1,411 on Tuesday, with 17 more deaths reported, according to the Utah Department of Health.
Four of those deaths occurred in December but were still being investigated by the Utah state medical examiner's office. A death previously reported as a Salt Lake County man over the age of 85 was removed from the total deaths count after further investigation revealed the man was actually a Nevada resident, the health department said.
The health department estimates there are now a total of 47,831 active COVID-19 cases in Utah. The rolling seven-day average number of positive cases per day is now at 1,778, according to the health department. The positive test rate per day for that time period is now 19.1%.
The health department also announced Tuesday that 28,275 vaccine doses will be transferred from federal pharmacy partners to the state of Utah.
CVS and Walgreens have been working to vaccinate staff and residents of long-term care facilities through a federal partnership. However, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox revealed last week that the federal pharmacy partners were using just 17% of vaccine doses that were older than seven days.
The partners had too much of the vaccine, the governor said. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved reallocating the surplus of vaccines, which started this week with a shipment of 8,775 doses arriving. The remaining 19,500 doses will be shipped to Utah next week, the health department said.
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The reallocated doses will be used for Utah populations that are already eligible for the vaccine, which currently include front-line health care workers, first responders, K-12 teachers and school staff, and residents aged 70 and older, as well as staff and residents at long-term care facilities.
"CVS and Walgreens have adequate vaccine on-hand to continue with all scheduled vaccination clinics at long-term care facilities in Utah," a Tuesday statement from the health department said. "Residents and staff of these facilities will continue to receive their vaccinations as planned, without interruption. We appreciate their efforts to vaccinate high-risk Utahns and those who care for them."
There are 452 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, including 158 in intensive care, state data shows. About 81% of all intensive care unit beds in Utah were filled as of Tuesday, including about 86% of ICU beds in the state's 16 referral hospitals, according to the health department. About 48% of all non-ICU hospital beds in Utah are currently filled.
A total of 237,637 vaccines have been administered in the state, up from 229,575 Monday. Out of the total vaccine doses administered so far in Utah, 32,546 are second doses.
The new numbers indicate a 0.4% increase in positive cases since Monday. Of the 1,978,950 people tested for COVID-19 in Utah so far, 17.2% have tested positive for the disease. The total number of tests conducted increased by 16,862 as of Tuesday, and 9,291 of those were tests of people who had not previously been tested for COVID-19, according to state data.
The 17 deaths reported Tuesday were:
- Three Davis County women who were between the ages of 65 and 84 and were residents of long-term care facilities
- A Davis County man who was over the age of 85 and was not hospitalized when he died
- An Iron County man who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was a resident of a long-term care facility
- A Morgan County man who was over the age of 85 and was a resident of a long-term care facility
- A Salt Lake County woman who was between the ages of 45 and 64 and was hospitalized when she died
- A Salt Lake County woman who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was a resident of a long-term care facility
- A Salt Lake County man who was between the ages of 45 and 64 and was hospitalized when he died
- A Salt Lake County man who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was hospitalized when he died
- A Sanpete County woman who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was hospitalized when she died
- A Utah County man who was between the ages of 45 and 64 and was a resident of a long-term care facility
- A Utah County man who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was hospitalized when he died
- A Utah County man who was over the age of 85 and was hospitalized when he died
- A Utah County man who was between the ages of 45 and 64 and was hospitalized when he died
- A Washington County man who was between the ages of 45 and 64 and was not hospitalized when he died
- A Washington County man who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was a resident of a long-term care facility
Tuesday's totals give Utah 338,675 total confirmed cases, with 13,137 total hospitalizations and 1,613 total deaths from the disease. An estimated 289,231 Utah COVID-19 cases are now considered recovered, according to the health department.
There is not a COVID-19 news conference scheduled for Tuesday. Gov. Spencer Cox and health officials will update the public on Thursday at 11 a.m.
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.
