ICU Beds In Utah’s Referral Centers Are Now 101% Occupied
Jan 17, 2021, 12:58 PM | Updated: 1:27 pm
FILE (Photo used with permission from Intermountain Healthcare)
(Photo used with permission from Intermountain Healthcare)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The weeklong average of new COVID cases in Utah has been slowly decreasing since the beginning of January when approximately one-third of all tests were coming back positive.
On Sunday, the rolling 7-day average for positive tests 22.6%, a sign that the post-holiday COVID surge could be waning.
Utah Department of Health
However, as new cases decline, intensive care units remain above capacity. Overall, Utah’s ICU beds are 97.4% full, which is above functional capacity for the state. Due to the number of caregivers available, Utah’s ICU threshold for quality care is 85% full.
Even more concerning are the number of ICU beds available in Utah’s referral centers – the 16 hospitals best equipped to treat COVID-19 patients. On Sunday, the Utah Department of Health reported those beds were 101.1% full.
Testing
UDOH reported a total of 1,902,260 Utahns have been tested so far, which is an increase of 7,199 people tested since yesterday.
Of those, a total of 323,837 of the state’s residents have tested positive for COVID-19. That’s an increase of 1,585 cases from Saturday’s report.
The rolling 7-day average for positive tests is 2,209 per day, and the rolling 7-day average for percent of positive laboratory tests is 22.6%.
Hospitalizations
There are currently 557 people hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 226 of those are in intensive care units. Another 37 people are hospitalized with suspected cases of COVID-19.
Utah’s ICUs are now 97.4% full, and the ICUs in the state’s referral centers are 101.1% full.
Referral Centers are the 16 hospitals in Utah with the capability to provide the best care for patients with COVID-19. Because most patients are transferred to these facilities, their utilization is the best reflection of the true hospital capacity in Utah when looking at ICU beds.
Utah Department of Health
Deaths
Health officials reported eight additional Utahns have lost their lives to COVID-19, bringing the state’s pandemic death toll to 1,493.
The following individuals’ deaths were reported Sunday:
7 Men
- between 45-64, Utah County resident, hospitalized at time of death
- between 65-84, Carbon County resident, hospitalized at time of death
- between 45-64, Utah County resident, hospitalized at time of death
- between 65-84, Millard County resident, hospitalized at time of death
- between 65-84, Utah County resident, hospitalized at time of death
- between 65-84, Washington County resident, hospitalized at time of death
- older than 85, Washington County resident, hospitalized at time of death
1 Woman
- between 65-84, Iron County resident, long-term care facility resident
Vaccinations
Utah has administered 157,170 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to date. So far, 142,368 people have received the first dose of the vaccine, and 14,802 have been fully immunized with both doses.
Utah Department of Health
For more information, visit coronavirus.utah.gov.
