SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Health on Thursday said three more Utahns have died due to COVID-19 while 1,113 residents tested positive for the virus — the first time Utah passed 1,000 cases in a single day since Feb. 18.

Currently, 353 Utahns are hospitalized due to the virus — among the state’s highest numbers since mid-February — and the ICUs at Utah’s 16 referral center hospitals were 88.7% full on Thursday — above the state’s utilization threshold of 85%.

“When 85% capacity is reached, Utah will be functionally out of staffed ICU beds, indicating an overwhelmed hospital system,” UDOH said.

The state’s seven-day rolling average of new cases has more than tripled since June 1, jumping from 200 to 691 on Thursday.

An additional 8,122 vaccine doses have been administered since Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 3,009,594.

UDOH said over 1.47 million Utahns are now fully vaccinated and over 1.66 million have received at least one dose of a vaccine.

State health officials also released the following statement from Gov. Spencer Cox:

“Today’s case count is another step in the wrong direction for our state. But we remain confident in vaccines to help us turn the tide. Unfortunately, nearly everyone who is getting sick, and who will end up in the hospital because of today’s case counts, is unvaccinated. This pandemic of the unvaccinated is tragic because it is preventable. It has never been easier to get a vaccine. While we are encouraged by increases in vaccinations, we need more people to protect themselves and their families.”

Testing

UDOH reports 2,910,139 people have been tested — 5,757 more than Wednesday. Of those, 431,256 Utahns have tested positive for COVID-19 — an increase of 1,113 new cases.

The rolling seven-day average for positive tests was 691 — up from 649 on Thursday and 622 last Wednesday. On June 1, Utah’s rolling seven-day average was 200 cases.

The rolling seven-day average for percent positivity of “people over people” rose to 14.7% while the rolling seven-day average for percent positivity of “tests over tests” rose to 10.4%.

Vaccinations

The state has administered 3,009,594 vaccine doses in total, which is an increase of 8,122 over Wednesday’s numbers.

As of Thursday, over 1.66 million Utahns had received at least one dose of a vaccine and over 1.47 million Utahns had been fully vaccinated.

Over 3.36 million vaccines have been delivered to Utah.

Hospitalizations

Currently, 353 people are hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 156 of those people were in intensive care units.

Utah’s ICUs were 85.5% full and the ICU beds in Utah’s referral centers were 88.7% full Thursday — just above the state’s threshold of 85%.

“At about 69% overall ICU utilization, ICUs in Utah’s major hospitals with the ability to provide best care for COVID-19 patients begin to reach staffing capacity,” UDOH officials said. “Seventy-two percent use among all hospitals and 77% in referral center hospitals creates major strains on the health care system. When 85% capacity is reached, Utah will be functionally out of staffed ICU beds, indicating an overwhelmed hospital system.”

Deaths

To date, the virus has killed 2,450 of the state’s residents. The following deaths were reported Thursday:

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

Nationwide Numbers

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Coronavirus Resources

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Click here to sign up for a vaccine and here to see how Utah’s vaccine rollout is progressing.

The latest COVID-19 stories from KSL can be found here.

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

The CDC recommends unvaccinated Americans should continue wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies).