The number of new COVID-19 cases in Utah rises to nearly 700

The state also denounces five more deaths.

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New cases of COVID-19 are on the rise again in Utah. Since reaching a low of 221 Monday to nine months, that figure has doubled to 481 on Tuesday, rising to 699 on Wednesday.

The number of hospitalizations also increased and the Utah Department of Health reported five more deaths. Four of the five deaths occurred before Feb. 17 and were only recently confirmed to be coronavirus-related.

Dose of vaccines administered last day / total doses administered • 27,654 / 1,054,727.

Fully vaccinated Utahns • 384,054.

Cases reported last day • 699.

Deaths reported last day • Five.

The deaths were: A woman 85 years of age or older in Salt Lake County; a 45- to 64-year-old man in San Juan County; a 65- to 84-year-old woman in Utah County; a 65- to 84-year-old man in Washington County; and a 65- to 84-year-old woman in Weber County.

Hospitalizations reported last day • 180. This is new from Tuesday. Of those currently hospitalized, 63 are in intensive care units, eight more than Tuesday.

Tests reported last day • 8,666 people were tested for the first time. A total of 19,892 people were tested.

Percentage of positive tests • According to the original method of the state, the rate is 8.1%. It’s roughly the same as the seven-day average of 8.3%.

His new method counts all test results, including repeated tests from the same individual. Wednesday’s rate is now 3.5%, lower than the seven-day average of 4.1%.

[Read more: Utah is changing how it measures the rate of positive COVID-19 tests. Here’s what that means.]

Total so far • 379,780 cases; 2,037 dead; 15,198 hospitalizations; 2,307,238 people tested.