SALT LAKE CITY – The number of COVID-19 cases in Utah rose by 2,543 on Friday, with 12 more deaths reported, according to the Utah Department of Health.
The health department estimates that there are 55,374 active cases of the disease in Utah. According to the health department, the average number of positive cases per seven-day day is 2,391. The percentage of positive tests per day for this time period is now 25%, a total percentage lower than on Thursday and a reduction of almost 8% over last week.
The state health department also announced Friday that a new, more contagious variant of COVID-19, which originated in the UK, has now been detected in Utah. The variant was detected in a Salt Lake County man who tested positive last month and is between 25 and 44 years old. The man had no known history of travel outside of Utah and showed only mild symptoms, according to the health department.
The COVID-19 vaccine is believed to be effective against disease variation.
There are currently 584 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Utah, including 210 in intensive care, according to state data. About 93% of intensive care beds are occupied in Utah as of Friday, including approximately 95% of ICU beds at the state’s 16 referral hospitals, according to the health department. Now, about 56% of non-ICU hospital beds are occupied.
A total of 142,751 doses of vaccine have been administered in the state, compared to 133,202 on Thursday.
New cases on Friday indicate a 0.8% increase in positive cases since Thursday. Of the 1,884,601 people tested so far by COVID-19 in Utah, 17% tested positive for COVID-19. The number of total tests performed increased by 17,245 as of Friday, and 12,985 of these were tests from people who had not been tested for COVID-19.
The 12 deaths reported on Friday are:
- Two men from Salt Lake County who were between 65 and 84 years old and were residents in long-term care centers
- Two men from Salt Lake County who were between the ages of 65 and 84 and were hospitalized when they died
- Two men from Salt Lake County who were between 45 and 64 years old and were hospitalized when they died
- A man from Utah County who was over 85 and who was hospitalized when he died
- A Washington County man who was between 65 and 84 years old and resided in a long-term care center
- A Weber County man who was between 65 and 84 years old and resided in a long-term care center
- A Salt Lake County woman who was over 85 years old and resided in a long-term care center
- A woman from Tooele County who was between 65 and 84 years old and was hospitalized when she died
- A woman from Weber County who was between 65 and 84 years old and was not hospitalized when she died
Friday’s total gives Utah 320,102 confirmed cases in total, with 12,351 hospitalizations in total and 1,472 in total deaths from the disease. According to the health department, an estimated 263,256 cases of COVID-19 in Utah are recovering.
There is no COVID-19 press conference scheduled for Friday. Utah officials provided a pandemic update at a news conference Thursday.
Methodology:
Test results now include PCR test data and antigen testing. Positive COVID-19 test results are reported to the health department immediately after confirmation, but negative results may not be reported within 24 to 72 hours.
The total number of cases reported daily by the Utah Department of Health includes all cases of COVID-19 since the Utah outbreak began, including those that are currently infected, those that have recovered from the disease, and those who have died.
Recovered cases are defined as anyone who was diagnosed with COVID-19 three or more weeks ago and who has not died.
The reference hospitals are the 16 hospitals in Utah with the capacity to provide the best COVID-19 health care.
According to the health department, deaths reported by the state usually occur two to seven days before their notification. Some deaths may be even further back, especially if the person is from Utah but has died in another state.
The health department reports confirmed and probable deaths from COVID-19 cases as defined in the case reviewed by the Council of State and territorial epidemiologists. Death counts may change as case investigations are completed.
According to the health department, for deaths reported as deaths from COVID-19, the person would not have died if they did not have COVID-19.
The data included in this story primarily reflects the state of Utah as a whole. For more localized data, visit your local health district website.
You can learn more about Utah health guidance levels at coronavirus.utah.gov/utah-health-guidance-levels.
The information comes from the Utah Department of Health and coronavirus.utah.gov/case-counts. For more information on how the Utah Department of Health compiles and reports COVID-19 data, visit coronavirus.utah.gov/case-counts and scroll down to the “Data Notes” section at bottom of the page.
Jacob Klopfenstein