No New COVID-19 Deaths In Utah; 268 New Cases
Jun 7, 2020, 1:17 PM | Updated: 1:52 pm
(Photo by Andrew Milligan-WPA Pool/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – There have been 268 new confirmed cases of coronavirus in Utah – nearly half of what was reported the previous day when new cases spiked at nearly 550.
Officials with the Utah Department Health said there were no new deaths to report Sunday.
Total cases have passed another milestone, climbing to 12,066 positive tests. An additional 2,802 people have been tested, bringing the total tests in the state to 237,951.
Nine-hundred people have been hospitalized, with 118 patients currently being treated. It was a rise of 10 patients since Saturday.
Over 7,100 people have been considered “recovered,” which officials said means they were diagnosed more than three weeks ago, and have not passed away.
Positive cases in the state has spiked over the last week, with a high of 546 reported Saturday – one day after the previous high of 439 cases.
Over 10 percent of Utah’s total coronavirus cases have come in the last 3 days, and nearly 30 percent in the last week-and-a-half.
State epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn talked earlier in the week about the state’s spike in new cases after a plateau spanning several week.
She said the recent spike in cases could not be attributed to an isolated spike in one or more parts of the state.
“We have increased spread of COVID-19 in Utah,” she said Wednesday. “We’ve had a sharp spike in cases.”
The two days with the highest number of new cases came after Dr. Dunn’s statement.
Gov. Gary Herbert credited the earlier plateau for the state’s move from Orange to Yellow risk status and an increase of gatherings from 20 to 50.
There were rumblings the governor would announce a move to Green risk levels when the initial Yellow alert was scheduled to end Friday.
The spike in cases made that move unlikely.
“Common sense requires keeping our current health risk guidance in place,” Gov. Herbert said in a statement Utah would remain in a Yellow alert. “We all want to return to more normal patterns of life as soon as possible, but we also do not want to take a step back in our progress against this disease and our reactivation of the economy.”
“Based on the data we have seen in the past week, we don’t recommend any jurisdictions in the state going to green,” said Dr. Dunn.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 109,901 coronavirus deaths across the United States, with 1.9 million total cases.
The US total accounted for more than a quarter of all confirmed deaths globally, according to the World Health Organization.
Worldwide, 397,388 people have died from COVID-19-related illnesses. There have been just shy of 6.8 million confirmed cases across 216 countries since the pandemic began.
Coronavirus Resources
- Have you or a family member been affected by coronavirus issues in Utah? KSL TV wants to hear from you. Contact KSL by emailing social@ksl.com.
- What is COVID-19? Here’s What You Need To Know To Stay Healthy
- What We Know And Don’t Know About The Coronavirus
- Four Common Coronavirus Questions Answered
- The latest coronavirus stories from KSL TV can be found at our Staying Safe: Coronavirus section.
- Your Life Your Health: How can parents prepare their home, children against coronavirus?
How Do I Prevent It?
The CDC has some simple recommendations, most of which are the same for preventing other respiratory illnesses or the flu:
- Avoid close contact with people who may be sick
- Avoid touching your face
- Stay home when you are sick
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
How To Get Help
If you’re worried you may have COVID-19, you can contact the Utah Coronavirus Information Line at 1-800-456-7707 to speak to trained healthcare professionals. You can also use telehealth services through your healthcare providers.
Additional Resources
If you see evidence of PRICE GOUGING, the Utah Attorney General’s Office wants you to report it. Common items in question include toilet paper, water, hand sanitizer, certain household cleaners, and even cold medicine and baby formula. Authorities are asking anyone who sees price gouging to report it to the Utah Division of Consumer Protection at 801-530-6601 or 800-721-7233. The division can also be reached by email at consumerprotection@utah.gov.