13 More Utahns Dead Of COVID-19, 2,150 Additional Confirmed Cases

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Department of Health has issued a report saying 13 more Utahns have died of COVID-19, and 2,150 cases of the virus have been confirmed.

Officials said six of the deaths reported were from before Dec. 26, 2020. The total number of coronavirus deaths in Utah has increased to 1,485.

They said 152,509 vaccines have been administered since they first became available.

The latest numbers were released around noon Saturday.

Testing

Health officials reported a total of 1,895,061 residents have been tested for the novel coronavirus – an increase of 10,460 of the total reported since Friday. Of those tested, 20.5 percent were positive.

Officials reported 322,252 residents have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began – an increase of 2,150 cases since Friday. It was an increase of 18,529 in the last week.

The rolling seven-day average for positive tests was 2,315 per day – down 832 since last Saturday. The rolling seven-day average for percent of positive laboratory tests was 24.7 percent.

Vaccinations

The vaccine has been administered to 152,509 people in Utah, including health workers and educators. According to numbers reported by the health department, 52,897 vaccines have been administered in the last week.

Officials were preparing to vaccinate those 70 years and older in the next phase, though several have reported challenges and confusion over the appointment process.

The number of vaccines ordered by the state and approved by the federal government and shipped was not available.

Hospitalizations

The health department reported 581 people were being treated for COVID-19 in Utah hospitals. Total hospitalizations since the pandemic began was 12,452 people.

Utah officials said 92.6 percent of the 537 ICU beds across the state were full. Of those, 210 were being used by patients confirmed to have COVID-19. An additional 51 patients inn ICU beds were suspected of having COVID-19, pending additional testing.

The remaining ICU beds were used by patients with other critical medical conditions.

Hospital officials have said, in addition to the beds nearing capacity, there was staffing for around 85 percent of those beds.

Deaths

An additional 13 Utahns have died in the last day, according to the Utah Department of Health.

Health officials said six of the latest deaths occurred before Dec. 26, 2020 and were reported after investigation by the state medical examiner to determine if COVID-19 was the primary cause of death.

The latest COVID-19 deaths included four women and nine men. All of them were over the age of 65.

There have been 1,485 total deaths of residents from the disease in the Beehive State since the pandemic began – and increase of 95 in the last week.

Box Elder County

The deaths include a Box Elder County man who was between the ages of 65 to 84 and living at a long-term care facility when he died.

Officials with the Bear River Health Department have reported 51 deaths in the district and 29 in Box Elder County.

The health district also includes Cache County, where 22 people have died since the beginning of the pandemic, and Rich County, which has not reported any COVID-19 deaths.

Davis County

A Davis County man older than 85 was hospitalized when he died after contracting the virus.

The county has reported 108 COVID-19 deaths since the beginning of the outbreak.

Garfield County

A man from Garfield County between the ages of 65 to 84 was living in a long-term care facility when he died of COVID-19.

His was the eighth death in county due to the virus.

Salt Lake County

Two additional Salt Lake County residents have died of COVID-19, including a woman over the age of 85 who was living in a long-term care facility, and a man between the ages of 65 to 85 who had been hospitalized.

There have been a total of 623 coronavirus-related deaths in the county.

Sanpete County

A Sanpete County man between the ages of 65 to 84 was hospitalized for COVID-19 at the time of his death.

There have been 15 deaths in the county, with 39 reported by the Central Utah Public Health Department, which also includes Juab, Millard, Piute, Sevier and Wayne counties.

Uintah County

A Uintah County woman over the age of 85 was living in a long-term care facility when she succumbed to the disease.

Hers was the 15^th coronavirus-related death in the county, and 24^th reported by the TriCounty Health Department, which includes Daggett and Duchesne counties. and the Ute Indian Tribe.

Utah County

Health officials also reported three deaths of Utah County residents, one woman and two men.

The woman was older than 85 and living in a long-term care facility when she died. Both men were between the ages of 65 to 84. One of them had been hospitalized to treat the disease. The other was not hospitalized.

The county has reported 244 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

Washington County

Three additional Washington County residents died as a result of contracting the disease, according to health officials – including one woman and two men.

All three were between the ages of 65 to 84 and living in long-term care facilities.

Officials have reported a total of 147 deaths in the county, and 180 in the area covered by the Southwest Utah Health Department, which also includes Iron, Kane, Beaver, and Garfield counties.

National/Worldwide Numbers

There have been over 23.5 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States. Over 393,000 Americans have died of the disease, according to numbers compiled by the Coronavirus Resource Center at John Hopkins University.

Across the globe there have been over 94.1 million cases and 2,015,323 deaths.

With just 4 percent of the worldwide population, the United States has accounted for 25 percent of the global cases and 19.5 percent of the deaths since the pandemic began.

The first US case was confirmed on January 21, 2020. The number of new cases in the nation has skyrocketed in November, with a spike significantly higher than any other country.

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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 face mask respirator to protect yourself from coronavirus unless a healthcare professional recommends it.