Utah Reports 1,501 New COVID-19 Cases, 5 New Deaths 237 Current Hospitalizations

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Department of Health on Thursday announced 1,501 new COVID-19 cases and five new deaths.

For the state’s full statistics, visit coronavirus.utah.gov.

Testing

The state reported 10,582 tests yesterday, and 1,501 of those tests were positive. Utah has tested 892,022 people so far, and 81,947 of those tests returned positive.

There have been a total of 1,171,162 tests reported.

The rolling seven-day average for positive tests is 1,114 per day, and the rolling seven-day average for percent of positive laboratory tests is 13.7%.

Hospitalizations

There are currently 237 patients hospitalized with the virus, 86 of which are in intensive care units. Another 14 patients are currently hospitalized as COVID-19 persons under investigation.

UDOH reports 54.5% of all non-ICU beds and 73% of all ICU beds in Utah hospitals are occupied.

During Gov. Gary Herbert’s weekly situational update, Dr. Emily Spivak of University of Utah Health spoke about the alarming increase in hospitalizations.

At the U of U hospital, ICU beds are now 95% full.

“As a physician, a mother, a concerned citizen, I plead with you – wear a mask,” Spivak said.

 

She said Utahns have the choice to wear masks outside their homes, or Utahns can take a haphazard approach by wearing masks incorrectly or choosing not to wear them at all.

“If we choose the latter, we can all plan on remaining in this current state of uncertainty, experiencing lockdowns, virtual schools, canceled sporting events, holidays without loved ones, continued economic and financial impacts, and more and more lives devastated by COVID-19,” she said.

Spivak became visibly emotional as she pleaded with Utahns to step up to the challenge of preventing the spread of the virus, noting that frontline healthcare workers are fighting tirelessly to care for patients who have the virus.

“Our staff feels supported,” she said, “but some of our nurses and doctors are experiencing heartbreaking stories. We’re all tired.”

Deaths

A total of 501 Utahns have died from COVID-19. The following deaths were reported Thursday:

• Male, older than 85, Davis County resident, not hospitalized at time of death
• Female, older than 85, Salt Lake County resident, long-term care facility resident
• Male, between 45-64, Salt Lake County resident, not hospitalized at time of death
• Male, between 65-84, Salt Lake County resident, long-term care facility resident
• Male, between 65-84, Washington County resident, long-term care facility resident

Spivak remarked on Utah’s mortality rate, noting that it is among the lowest in the nation. However, she doesn’t believe the death toll should be the only marker used to measure the severity of COVID-19.

“This disease can be severe, even for people who have no other conditions,” she said. “We are seeing people who have long-term problems. We can’t just use death as the factor to measure the effect of the disease.”

Recoveries

The state is considering 60,220 cases as recovered, meaning those patients received a positive diagnosis more than three weeks ago and they have not died.

For additional details, visit coronavirus.utah.gov.