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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah health officials reported eight additional COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday, along with 278 new cases.
The rolling, seven-day average for new positive tests is now 434 per day, down slightly from the 438 average reported Monday. The seven-day average for positive tests is 14.1%, continuing a decline.
Also Tuesday, Mayor Erin Mendenhall terminated the executive order requiring masks in city buildings and vehicles.
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The original executive order was issued on July 28, 2021, and was done in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines at the time to help protect against COVID-19. The CDC issued new guidelines on Feb. 25 after the downturn in COVID-19 cases, stating that individuals with "low" or "medium" risk communities are no longer advised to wear masks indoors.
Due to the new guidelines, Mendenhall issued a termination of the order, "effective immediately."
New Utah data
According to state health officials, the three-day trend for COVID-19 cases in the state is declining for each different area in Utah, and the state as a whole has been continuing an "incidence decline" in its epidemic curve since Jan. 21.
Utah's "syndromic surveillance," which was last reported on Feb. 27, is at 54 and is lower than it has been since June 21, 2021. This number represents the seven-day average of the number of emergency department visits where individuals are showing symptoms of COVID-19, influenza or RSV, respiratory syncytial virus.
Currently, 314 people are hospitalized in the state with COVID-19, according to the health department. Of those patients, 70 are in intensive care units. Just over half of hospital beds are currently in use, according to Tuesday's report, and just under 70% of ICU beds.
School children account for 29 of Tuesday's new cases. Of those cases, eight were children between ages 5 and 10, nine were ages 11-13, and 12 were ages 14-17.
The health department reported another 3,756 people in Utah who were tested and 2,928 who were vaccinated since Monday's report.
There have now been 4,417 COVID-19 deaths in Utah since the pandemic began. Two of the latest deaths occurred prior to Feb. 1, and two deaths reported by the health department on Dec. 14 were retracted.
The latest COVID-19 deaths include:
- A Davis County woman, between 25 and 44, who was hospitalized when she died.
- A Duchesne County man, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County woman, 45-64, hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County woman, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Tooele County man, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Utah County man, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Washington County man, over 85, long-term care facility resident.
- A Weber County woman, 65-84, hospitalized.
Contributing: Arianne Brown
