New COVID-19 Cases In Utah Spike To 747; 1 New Death Reported
Sep 16, 2020, 12:58 PM | Updated: 1:08 pm
FILE (Photo by Octavio Jones/Getty Images)
(Photo by Octavio Jones/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Department of Health on Wednesday reported 747 new COVID-19 cases and one new death.
It’s the first time new cases have spiked above 700 since July.
The rolling seven-day average for positive tests has increased to 585 per day, and the rolling 7-day average for percent of positive laboratory tests is now at 11.1%. The state has tested 729,731 people so far, and 59,747 of those tests returned positive.
There are currently 115 patients hospitalized with the virus, 54 of which are in intensive care units. Another 24 patients are currently hospitalized as COVID-19 persons under investigation. UDOH reports 53.5% of all non-ICU beds and 68.2% of all ICU beds are occupied.
A total of 437 Utahns have died from the virus. On Wednesday, health officials reported the death of a Salt Lake County man who was older than 85 and not hospitalized at the time of death.
The state is considering 49,728 cases as recovered, meaning those patients received a positive diagnosis more than three weeks ago and they have not died.
“We learned from our experience this summer that wearing masks and practicing physical distancing, along with staying home when we’re sick and washing our hands regularly, can help slow the spread of COVID-19 in our communities,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn. “We are currently experiencing a new spike in cases, similar to what we saw earlier in the summer. It’s time to reiterate the importance of people taking these preventive measures. By wearing masks, physically distancing, and staying home if we are sick, we can prevent unnecessary death and illness.”
