Utah Reports 1,050 COVID-19 Cases, Eight Additional Deaths

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Health on Wednesday said eight more Utahns have died due to COVID-19 and 1,050 additional residents have tested positive for the virus.

Currently, 388 Utahns are hospitalized due to the virus and the ICUs at Utah’s 16 referral center hospitals were 84.1% full — just below the state’s “functionally full” threshold of 85%.

The state’s seven-day rolling average of positive tests has more quadrupled since June 1, jumping from 200 to 907 on Wednesday.

An additional 8,379 vaccine doses have been administered since Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 3,050,326.

UDOH said over 1.49 million Utahns are now fully vaccinated and over 1.68 million have received at least one dose of a vaccine.

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

“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.”

Out of the 1,459,502 Utahns who have been fully vaccinated, 5,051 (0.346%) have tested positive for COVID-19, 322 have been hospitalized (0.02128%) — fewer than the 388 Utahns hospitalized on Wednesday with the virus — and 17 have died (0.00116%).

As of Wednesday, 2,479 Utahns have died due to COVID-19. Four of the deaths reported Wednesday were Utahns under the age of 25.

“The UDOH determines vaccine status for cases using two methods — by linking all known cases to vaccination records reported into the Utah Statewide Immunization Information System (USIIIS) and through self-report by asking all cases if they have been fully vaccinated,” UDOH officials said. “Breakthrough cases may be overrepresented in the data due to this self-reporting.”

Testing

UDOH reports 436,487 people have been tested — 6,999 more than Tuesday. Of those, 436,487 Utahns have tested positive for COVID-19 — an increase of 1,050 new cases.

The rolling seven-day average for positive tests was 907 — up from 877 on Tuesday and 755 on Friday.

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 15.2% while the rolling seven-day average for percent positivity of “tests over tests” rose to 10.7%.

Vaccinations

The state has administered 3,050,326 vaccine doses in total, which is an increase of 8,379 over Tuesday’s numbers.

As of Wednesday, over 1.68 million Utahns had received at least one dose of a vaccine and over 1.49 million Utahns had been fully vaccinated.

Over 3.41 million vaccines have been delivered to Utah.

Hospitalizations

Currently, 388 people are hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 166 of those people were in intensive care units.

Utah’s ICUs were 83.1% full and the ICU beds in Utah’s referral centers were 84.1% full Wednesday — just below the state’s utilization 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 2,479 of the state’s residents. Half of the eight deaths reported Wednesday were Utahns under the age of 44, including one who was younger than 25.

The following deaths were reported Wednesday:

• Female, between 25-44, Cache County resident, not hospitalized at time of death
• Male, older than 85, Weber County resident, long-term care facility resident
• Male, between 65-84, Weber County resident, long-term care facility resident
• Female, between 45-64, Salt Lake County resident, hospitalized at time of death
• Female, between 45-64, Salt Lake County resident, not hospitalized at time of death
• Male, between 25-44, Utah County resident, hospitalized at time of death
• Male, between 15-24, Weber County resident, hospitalized at time of death
• Male, between 25-44, Weber County resident, hospitalized at time of death

Nationwide Numbers

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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.

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).