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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah health officials confirmed 1,195 new COVID-19 cases and 20 additional deaths on Tuesday.
The rolling, seven-day average for new cases is now 1,127 per day, and the positive rate of those tested is 14.5%, the Utah Department of Health said in a daily update.
School-age children account for 253 of the new cases — 131 cases were ages 5-10, 53 cases were 11-13, and 69 cases were 14-17.
Health care workers administered 14,486 more vaccine doses since Monday's report, bringing doses given in Utah to 4,136,987.
Of the cases confirmed Tuesday, 589 are "breakthrough," meaning among residents who have been fully vaccinated more than two weeks earlier. Ten additional deaths were also confirmed as breakthrough. Now 41,887 cases and 264 deaths have been confirmed as fully vaccinated since vaccines first became available.
Utah has confirmed 595,801 cases since the start of the pandemic and 3,528 deaths due to the disease.
With news that the new omicron variant of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Canada, Dr. Eddie Stenehjem, infectious disease physician at Intermountain Healthcare, said Tuesday the delta variant should remain the primary concern in Utah as it accounts for most of the current cases and deaths.
But because little is known about the new variant and how it might impact the state, Stenehjem urged Utahns who haven't been vaccinated to do so — including those who had prior infections. Those who have received their original doses of the vaccine should receive their booster shots, he added.
"Vaccination is our way to prevent new variants," Stenehjem said.
He said data at Utah hospitals is showing that the majority of patients — 85% — have not been fully vaccinated. Those who have been vaccinated but contract breakthrough infections "are significantly older than those who are vaccinated and have significantly more medical comorbidities" than those in the hospital who have not been vaccinated.
One of the deaths confirmed Tuesday occurred before November. The deaths include:
- A Beaver County woman between the ages of 45 and 64, who was hospitalized when she died.
- A Davis County man, older than 85, hospitalized.
- An Emery County woman, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Juab County man, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County woman, 18-25, hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County man, older than 85, hospitalized.
- Four Salt Lake County women, 65-84, all hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County man, 65-84, long-term care facility resident.
- A Salt Lake County man, 45-64, hospitalized.
- Two Tooele County men, 65-84, both hospitalized.
- A Utah County woman, 25-44, hospitalized.
- A Utah County man, 45-64, hospitalized.
- A Utah County man, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Washington County woman, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Weber County woman, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Weber County man, 25-44, hospitalized.
