Child under 14 among 15 COVID deaths, 1,306 new cases reported Wednesday

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Health on Wednesday said 15 more Utahns have died due to COVID-19, including a child under the age of 14, and 1,306 residents have tested positive for the virus.

Of those cases, 194 (14.85%) were in school-aged children:

• 86 cases in children ages 5-10
• 46 cases in children ages 11-13
• 62 cases in children ages 14-18

“Children who get COVID-19 can get really sick, and unfortunately, as we are reporting today, can die,” said Dr. Leisha Nolen, state epidemiologist at the Utah Department of Health. “This is a tragic reminder that COVID-19 is still spreading in our communities and is still causing preventable deaths. Vaccines help prevent serious illness and death. Please, if you or your child haven’t been vaccinated yet, now is the time.”

As of Wednesday, three children under the age of 18 have died due to COVID-19 in Utah, according to UDOH.

Currently, 514 Utahns are hospitalized due to the virus and the ICUs at Utah’s 16 referral center hospitals, where the majority of COVID-19 patients are treated, are 98.9% full — above the state’s “functionally full” threshold of 85%.

Utah’s ICUs have been above the functionally full mark since Aug. 23.

The rolling seven-day average for positive tests was 1,090 — down from 1,136 on Monday and 1,550 last Monday.

As of Wednesday, 4,328,094 vaccine doses have been given — an increase of 47,790 since Monday. Over 1.85 million Utahns are now fully vaccinated, over 2.1 million have received at least one dose of a vaccine and 511,249 have received a booster dose.

Children ages 5-11 are eligible to receive a smaller dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, which has been fully approved by the FDA and CDC, and appointments are available across the state.

All Utahns age 18 and older, who received their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine more than six months ago, or a Johnson & Johnson vaccine more than two months ago, are also eligible for a booster shot.

Teens ages 16 and 17 are also eligible for a Pfizer booster dose.

The FDA and CDC have approved booster doses for Americans and urged those age 50 and older to seek one.

Vaccinated vs. unvaccinated risk ratios

In the last 28 days, people who are unvaccinated are at 14.6 times greater risk of dying from COVID-19, 9.3 times greater risk of being hospitalized due to COVID-19, and 3.6 times greater risk of testing positive for COVID-19 than vaccinated people.

Since Feb. 1, people who are unvaccinated are at 6.7 times greater risk of dying from COVID-19, 5.6 times greater risk of being hospitalized due to COVID-19, and 2.5 times greater risk of testing positive for COVID-19 than vaccinated people.

Testing

UDOH reports 4,093,470 people have been tested — 7,847 more since yesterday. Of those, 614,270 Utahns have tested positive for COVID-19 — an increase of 920 new cases.

The rolling seven-day average for positive tests was 1,107 — down from 1,136 on Monday and 1,550 last Monday.

On June 1, Utah’s rolling seven-day average had dropped to 200 cases.

The rolling seven-day average for percent positivity of “people over people” dropped to 14% while the rolling seven-day average for percent positivity of “tests over tests” dropped to 9.4%.

Vaccinations

As of Wednesday, 4,328,094 vaccine doses have been given in Utah — an increase of 47,790 since Monday. Over 1.85 million Utahns are now fully vaccinated, over 2.1 million have received at least one dose of a vaccine and 511,249 have received a booster dose.

Over 5.3 million vaccine doses have been delivered to the Beehive State.

The eligible population for vaccinations has changed with the expansion of vaccines to the 5- to 11-year-old age group. The state’s dashboard now includes a breakout of vaccines administered for that age group and booster dose administrations.

Data includes the total number of people who have received a booster dose, a breakdown by age (over 65 and under 65), and data on the type of booster dose people have received.

Hospitalizations

Currently, 514 people are hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 202 of those people are in intensive care units.

Utah’s ICUs were 96.9% full and the ICU beds in Utah’s 16 referral centers were at 98.9% capacity Wednesday — above the state’s utilization threshold or “functionally full” mark of 85%.

Thirty-eight percent of Utah’s ICU usage is due to COVID-19 patients.

“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.”

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Deaths

The virus has killed 3,688 of the state’s residents. The following deaths were reported Wednesday:

• Female, older than 85, Utah County resident, hospitalized at time of death
• Female, between 65-84, San Juan County resident, hospitalized at time of death
• Male, between 65-84, Utah County resident, not hospitalized
• Male, between 45-64, Davis County resident, hospitalized at time of death
• Female, between 65-84, Salt Lake County resident, hospitalized at time of death
• Female, between 45-64, Davis County resident, hospitalized at time of death
• Male, between 65-84, Juab County resident, hospitalized at time of death
• Male, between 65-84, Grand County resident, hospitalized at time of death
• Male, between 65-84, Iron County resident, hospitalized at time of death
• Male, between 65-84, Box Elder County resident, hospitalized at time of death
• Female, older than 85, Davis County resident, hospitalized at time of death
• Male, between 1-14, Davis County resident, hospitalized at time of death
• Male, between 45-64, Washington County resident, hospitalized at time of death
• Male, older than 85, Salt Lake County resident, hospitalized at time of death
• Male, between 45-64, Salt Lake 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:

• Get vaccinated and a booster dose if it has been more than six months (Pfizer/Moderna) since your second dose or two months (J&J) since your first
• 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 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).