1,608 New Coronavirus Cases Reported In Utah; 1 More Death

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Another 1,608 cases of coronavirus and an additional death have been reported by the Utah Department of Health. The number of people hospitalized was reported at 310.

The daily case count was among the highest reported by state health officials – with the record number reported Friday.

Officials said the additional death was a Salt Lake County woman older than 85 who was not hospitalized. COVID-19 has been attributed as the cause of 568 total deaths in Utah.

Testing

Utah reported an increase of 10,069 tests administered since Friday, with 16 percent returning positive cases.

Since the start of the pandemic, 1,022,809 people have been tested.

The rolling seven-day average for positive tests was 1,386 per day, and the rolling seven-day average for the rate of positive laboratory tests was 15.9 percent.

Record Numbers

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert issued a statement responding to the record numbers.

“This is a record day for Utah — but not a good one,” he said. “Cases of COVID-19 are at an all-time high, and I am deeply concerned that COVID exhaustion is as well. Now is not the time to let down your guard.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 9,552 new cases in Utah in the last seven days, with over 100,000 cases since the beginning of the pandemic – meaning 10 percent of the Beehive State’s total case count has come in the last week.

There have been nearly 8.5 million confirmed cases in the United States, according to the CDC, and nearly 223,400 deaths.

The World Health Organization reported over 42 million cases of coronavirus and 1.1 million deaths across the globe.

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Coronavirus Resources

Have you or a family member been affected by coronavirus issues in Utah? KSL 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: ksltv.com/432037/what-is-covid-19/

Latest coronavirus stories from KSL can be found at ksltv.com/coronavirus/.

Where in the world has the coronavirus already appeared? See the map: ksltv.com/?p=432035

Your Life Your Health: How can parents prepare their home, children against coronavirus: ksltv.com/?p=432060

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 is not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

The CDC does not recommend wearing a facemask respirator to protect yourself from coronavirus unless a healthcare professional recommends it.