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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah health officials reported 39,882 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday from over the weekend and 28 deaths.
On Friday, the record for the highest number of daily cases was broken yet again.
The rolling, seven-day average for new cases has reached a new high of 10,652 per day, significantly higher than last week's record of 9,827. The average rate of tests resulting as positive is 41.3%, the Utah Department of Health said.
A daily case count for the weekend is as follows:
- Friday: 13,551 (new daily record)
- Saturday: 10,080
- Sunday: 6,355
- Monday: 9,934
The previous daily case count record was set on Thursday with 12,990 cases. The health department also noted that it removed 38 previously reported cases from the total case count.
School-age children account for 8,490, about 21%, of the weekend's new cases. Of those cases, 2,556 were children between ages 5 and 10, 1,875 were children 11-13, and 4,059 were children 14-17.
As of Tuesday, 681 patients across Utah were hospitalized with COVID-19, up from a report of 672 people hospitalized on Friday. Of those patients, 190 are in the ICU
Salt Lake County hospitalizations have doubled in the last two weeks, leading to the highest 14-day average in COVID-19 hospitalizations for the county at 43.5 daily, according to Dr. Angela Dunn, executive director of the Salt Lake County Health Department.
"We can prevent further strain on our hospitals, schools, businesses, essential services. Vax. Mask. Stay home when sick," Dunn said.
Statewide, intensive care units are 87.5% full, according to the Utah Department of Health. Of the ICU beds, 37% are being used by COVID-19 patients. Referral center ICU beds are 91.6% full.
Tuesday's case numbers may also show a significantly lower number than actual cases because the state is not able to do as much testing as it has over the last few weeks. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and state health officials announced on Friday that Utah is running low on tests after administering about 50,000 COVID-19 tests each day during the omicron surge.
Cox said tests are on back order and it may be a week or two before there are enough tests available, though, the federal government launched its free at-home test program on Tuesday, promising up to four tests mailed to every household.
Currently, state officials are recommending that people who are sick or were exposed to COVID-19 quarantine for five days, but not get tested and save tests for people who are considered high risk or who plan to visit someone who is high risk.
Related:
Utah Senate votes to overturn Utah mask mandates; proposal moves to House
The Utah Senate has passed a joint resolution to overturn Salt Lake and Summit counties' mask mandates, but it must pass the House before it becomes final.This lack of available tests has also led to a suspension of the Test to Stay program in schools, with some schools turning to remote learning this week, to help decrease the spread of COVID-19.
State health officials reported eight more women and 20 more men who have died, making the total deaths reported at 3,979. Two of the deaths reported on Tuesday occurred before Dec. 18, 2021, health officials said.
The latest deaths include:
- A Cache County man, over 85, not hospitalized when he died.
- A Davis County man, 45-64, hospitalized.
- A Davis County woman, over 85, hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County man, 25-44, hospitalized.
- Three Salt Lake County men, 45-64, all hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County man, 45-64, not hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County woman, 45-64, hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County man, 65-84, not hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County man, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County woman, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County man, over 85, not hospitalized.
- A Sevier County man, over 85, not hospitalized.
- A Uintah County woman, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Utah County man, 45-64, hospitalized.
- Two Utah County men, 65-84, both hospitalized.
- A Utah County man, 65-84, not hospitalized.
- A Washington County man, 45-64, hospitalized.
- Three Washington County men, 65-84, all hospitalized.
- A Washington County woman, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Washington County woman, over 85, hospitalized.
- A Washington County man, over 85, hospitalized.
- A Weber County woman, 45-64, hospitalized.
- A Weber County woman, 65-84, long-term care facility resident.
Correction: An earlier version said the health department had removed 18 previously reported cases from the total case count, but it should have said 38.
