SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s number of COVID-19 cases increased by 1,201 on Tuesday, with 17 more deaths reported, according to the Utah Department of Health.
Six of those deaths occurred before January 13 but were still being investigated by the state medical examiner’s office, according to the health department.
The health department estimates there are now 36,747 active COVID-19 cases in Utah. The rolling seven-day average number of positive cases per day is now at 1,394, according to the health department. The positive test rate per day for that time period is now 16.6%.
There are 396 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, including 130 in intensive care, state data shows. About 76% of all intensive care unit beds are occupied in Utah as of Tuesday, including about 79% of ICU beds in the state’s 16 referral hospitals. About 52% of non-ICU hospital beds are occupied, according to health department data.
A total of 325,457 vaccines have been administered in the state, up from 311,785 Monday.
The new numbers indicate a 0.3% increase in positive cases since Monday. Of the 2,035,662 people tested for COVID-19 in Utah so far, 17.1% have tested positive for COVID-19. The total number of tests conducted increased by 14,840, and 7,499 of those were tests of people who had not previously been tested for COVID-19.
The deaths reported Tuesday were:
- A Davis County woman who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was hospitalized when she died
- A Salt Lake County woman who was over the age of 85 and was a resident of a long-term care facility
- A Salt Lake County woman who was between the ages of 45 and 64 and was hospitalized when she died
- Two Utah County women who were over the age of 85 and were residents of long-term care facilities
- A Washington County woman who was between the ages of 45 and 64 and was a resident of a long-term care facility
- Two Washington County women who were over the age of 85 and were residents of long-term care facilities
- A Weber County woman who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was a resident of a long-term care facility
- A Cache County man who was was over the age of 85 and was hospitalized when he died
- A Salt Lake County man who was was over the age of 85 and was not hospitalized when he died
- A Salt Lake County man who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was a resident of a long-term care facility
- Two Salt Lake County men who were between the ages of 35 and 44 and were hospitalized when they died
- A Salt Lake County man who was between the ages of 45 and 64 and was hospitalized when he died
- A Salt Lake County man who was was over the age of 85 and was hospitalized when he died
- A Salt Lake County man who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was hospitalized when he died
Tuesday’s totals give Utah 348,409 total confirmed cases, with 13,576 total hospitalizations and 1,685 total deaths from the disease. An estimated 309,977 Utah COVID-19 cases are now being considered recovered, according to the health department.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox is scheduled to provide a pandemic update at 11 a.m. Thursday, according to the governor’s office.
Methodology:
Test results now include data from PCR tests and antigen tests. Positive COVID-19 test results are reported to the health department immediately after they are confirmed, but negative test results may not be reported for 24 to 72 hours.
The total number of cases reported by the Utah Department of Health each day includes all cases of COVID-19 since Utah’s outbreak began, including those who are currently infected, those who have recovered from the disease, and those who have died.
Recovered cases are defined as anyone who was diagnosed with COVID-19 three or more weeks ago and has not died.
Referral hospitals are the 16 Utah hospitals with the capability to provide the best COVID-19 health care.
Deaths reported by the state typically occurred two to seven days prior to when they are reported, according to the health department. Some deaths may be from even further back, especially if the person is from Utah but has died in another state.
The health department reports both confirmed and probable COVID-19 case deaths per the case definition outlined by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. The death counts are subject to change as case investigations are completed.
For deaths that are reported as COVID-19 deaths, the person would not have died if they did not have COVID-19, according to the health department.
Data included in this story primarily reflects the state of Utah as a whole. For more localized data, visit your local health district’s website.
More information about Utah’s health guidance levels is available at coronavirus.utah.gov/utah-health-guidance-levels.
Information is from the Utah Department of Health and coronavirus.utah.gov/case-counts. For more information on how the Utah Department of Health compiles and reports COVID-19 data, visit coronavirus.utah.gov/case-counts and scroll down to the “Data Notes” section at the bottom of the page.
Jacob Klopfenstein