Officials Announce 316 New COVID-19 Cases In Utah
Jun 4, 2020, 1:13 PM | Updated: 1:16 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Department of Health on Thursday announced 316 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state.
There have been 10,813 cases and 117 deaths so far, according to health officials.
Of the confirmed cases, 850 required hospitalization. There are currently 118 patients being treated for coronavirus in Utah hospitals.
The state has issued 227,507 test so far, and an estimated 6,628 patients have recovered. The state’s rate of positives is now at 4.8% of total tested.
Thursday marks the ninth day in a row that 200 or more cases were reported in a single day. On May 27, cases spiked in Utah, with the highest count since the pandemic started – 332 – happening May 28.
The majority of the state has moved into the so-called “low risk” phase of the reopening plan. Under the state’s guidelines, individuals are encouraged to maintain social distancing, wear masks when social distancing is not an option, work from home when possible, and, most importantly, practice good hygiene by washing hands constantly throughout the day.
Because of the spike, state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn said she is not going to recommend the state move to the green, or “new normal” phase of the reopening plan.
“Based on the data we have seen in the past week, we don’t recommend any jurisdictions in the state going to green,” she said during a press conference Wednesday.
However, the Public Health and Economic Emergency Commission on May 29 voted for adopting modified “yellow” and “smart green” risk phases for the state.
“We need to protect people’s health and allow our economy to continue to function,” said commission member and Utah Senate President Stuart Adams on Wednesday. “If we protect that medically frail population we can do both.”
Adams on Thursday announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies.
Currently, all of Utah is in the yellow, low-risk phase with the exceptions of Salt Lake City, Bluff and Mexican Hat, which all remain in the orange, moderate-risk phase.
“Loosening restrictions does not mean that the risk of spread is decreasing,” Dunn said. “It means that we must continue to take action as individual to avoid unnecessary illness and death due to COVID-19 in Utah.”
