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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah health officials reported 15 COVID-19 deaths on Friday, along with 999 new cases.
The rolling, seven-day average for new positive tests is now 1,055 per day, according to the Utah Department of Health. The seven-day average for the number of people testing positive is currently 26.3%, continuing a decline.
Currently, 459 people are hospitalized in the state with COVID-19, with 110 of those patients in an intensive care unit, according to the health department.
Gov. Spencer Cox announced on Friday that the state is ending its emergency COVID-19 response and moving to a "steady state." The changes will include ending daily COVID-19 statistics reports with case counts and moving to weekly reports that focus on trends.
As fewer people are getting tested, the state is also closing several testing sites, and more will be closed over the next six weeks as the state alters its response and shifts testing to private health care providers and at-home tests, according to Nate Checketts, executive director of the Utah Department of Health.
"We've closely monitored testing demand throughout the pandemic, and especially over the past several weeks. Many locations that used to test thousands of people a day are now testing fewer than 100," Checketts said.
He said that they have worked to verify that there are testing options near each site that is closing, and are maintaining contracts that will give them the ability to reopen sites if needed.
The sites that are closing on Friday include:
- The University of Utah tailgate lot
- Utah Valley University
- Maverik Center in West Valley City
- Hyrum Senior Center in Hyrum
The testing site at the BYU football stadium will be open through Monday. Testing sites at Bluffdale City Park and Ellison Park in Layton were closed in the last few days.
School children account for 148 of the new cases reported Friday, according to the health department. Of those cases, 69 were children between ages 5 and 10, 27 were children 11-13, and 52 were children 14-17.
Utah health officials have reported 4,359 COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic began in March 2020. Of the 15 new deaths reported on Friday, two occurred more than a month ago, health officials said.
The latest deaths include:
- A Box Elder County man, 65-84, not hospitalized when he died.
- A Davis County woman, 45-64, hospitalized.
- Two Davis County men, 65-84, both hospitalized.
- A Davis County man, over 85, hospitalized.
- A Garfield County man, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County woman, 45-64, hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County woman, 65-84, long-term care facility resident.
- A Salt Lake County woman, over 85, unknown if hospitalized.
- A Tooele County man, 45-64, hospitalized.
- A Tooele County woman, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Utah County woman, 65-84, long-term care facility resident.
- A Weber County man, 45-64, not hospitalized.
- A Weber County man, 45-64, hospitalized.
- A Weber County man, 65-84, not hospitalized.
