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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah health officials reported 4,607 new COVID-19 cases since Thursday, as well as 16 additional deaths through the Christmas holiday.
A breakdown of cases each day is as follows:
- Thursday: 1,479
- Friday: 1,316
- Saturday: 1,221
- Sunday: 629
The state also removed 38 previously-reported cases from its total case count. The state is now reporting a rolling, seven-day average of 1,158 new cases per day, and 10.9% of people getting tested are getting positive test results, according to the Utah Department of Health.
State health officials said Monday they expect to see a high demand at COVID-19 testing sites throughout the state, especially at the Cannon Health Building in Salt Lake City, which offers pre-travel testing. The health department urged people to visit other test sites if they do not need the test for travel. To register for testing, visit coronavirus.utah.gov.
Summit County announced cases reached "record highs" there for three days over the Christmas holiday weekend.
It "encourages residents to take basic precautions to avoid contracting and spreading COVID-19, especially during the week leading to the New Year holiday," district health officials said on social media on Monday.
"Residents and visitors are strongly advised to protect themselves and others during this spike by staying at home when sick, frequently washing hands and using hand sanitizer when in public and seeking testing when symptoms consistent with COVID-19 appear. Additionally, wearing masks while in crowded indoor settings is strongly encouraged," the post states.
Summit health officials said they believe the county's higher vaccination rates will help keep hospitalizations low and reduce the risk of death for those who get COVID-19. The county has the highest vaccination rate in the state, according to the Utah Department of Health, as 84% of its residents ages 5 and older are fully vaccinated.
Most of the state is experiencing "very high" rates of the disease, according to Utah's health department. The only two counties that are seeing lower — but still high — rates are rural Carbon and Emery counties.
Throughout the state, school-age children accounted for 544 of the new cases — 214 cases were ages 5-10, 123 cases were 11-13, and 207 cases were 14-17.
Health care workers administered 21,061 additional vaccine doses in the days since last Wednesday's report, bringing total doses given in Utah to 4,504,855 — including original doses and booster shots.
Of the cases confirmed since Thursday, 2,434 are "breakthrough," meaning they are patients who were fully vaccinated more than two weeks before testing positive for COVID-19. Four new breakthrough deaths were included in Monday's report, bringing the total number of breakthrough deaths in Utah to 347. There have been 59,485 breakthrough case reported in the state since vaccines became available in December 2020.
On Monday, 430 patients were being treated in hospitals statewide for the coronavirus — a decrease of 27 since last Wednesday.
The deaths reported Monday included:
- An Iron County woman older than 85, who was not hospitalized when she died.
- A Salt Lake County woman, 25-44, not hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County woman, 65-84, hospitalized.
- An Iron County man, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Weber County man, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Washington County man, 45-64, hospitalized.
- Three Washington County men, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County woman, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Utah County woman, 25-44, hospitalized.
- A Sevier County man, 45-64, hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County man, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County man, 45-64, hospitalized.
- A Washington County man, 25-44, hospitalized.
- A woman with unknown residence, older than 85, hospitalized.
