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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's number of COVID-19 cases increased by 2,009 on Wednesday, with seven more deaths reported, according to the Utah Department of Health.
The health department now estimates there are 46,034 active cases of the disease in Utah. The rolling seven-day average number of positive cases per day is now at 1,758, according to the health department. The positive test rate per day for that time period is now 18.4%.
There are 452 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, including 161 in intensive care, state data shows. About 84% of all intensive care unit beds in Utah were occupied as of Wednesday, including about 89% of ICU beds in the state's 16 referral hospitals, according to the health department. About 52% of non-ICU hospital beds are filled.
A total of 250,448 vaccines have been administered in the state, up from 237,637 Tuesday. Of those, 37,335 are second doses of the vaccine, according to state data.
The new numbers indicate a 0.6% increase in positive cases since Tuesday. Of the 1,989,106 people tested for COVID-19 in Utah so far, 17.1% have tested positive for the disease. The number of total tests conducted increased by 16,644 as of Wednesday, and 10,156 of those were tests of people who had not previously been tested for COVID-19, according to the health department.
The seven deaths reported Wednesday include:
- A Grand County man who was over the age of 85 and was hospitalized when he died
- A Millard County man who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was hospitalized when he died
- A Tooele 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 Utah County woman who was between the ages of 45 and 64 and was hospitalized when she died
- A Washington County man who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was 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
Wednesday's totals give Utah 340,684 total confirmed cases, with 13,217 total hospitalizations and 1,620 total deaths from the disease. A total of 293,030 Utah COVID-19 cases are now considered to be recovered, according to state data.
There is not a COVID-19 news conference scheduled for Wednesday. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox is scheduled to provide a pandemic update at 11 a.m. Thursday.
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.
