The health department also reported 396 new cases and six deaths on Sunday.
(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) People wear masks while shopping in Ogden on March 10, 2021.
Editor’s Note: The Salt Lake Tribune provides free access to critical stories about the coronavirus. Sign up for our featured newsletter, is sent to your inbox every morning. To support journalism like this, please to give or become one subscriber.
The daily COVID-19 case rate has been maintained recently, following an encouraging decline in recent weeks.
Over the past seven days, Utah has seen 3,529 new cases of coronavirus. This has dropped slightly compared to the previous week, when the state health department reported 3,615 new cases. During these two weeks, the daily average of new cases is 510.25.
The state’s own dashboard indicates that since March 8, Utah has seen cases canceled after two months of decline. The last time the state reported a plateau in cases prior to this was on January 10th.
One possible reason for the plateau could lie in the rise of several coronavirus variants that have targeted the United States in recent months, fueling questions from state officials on how to react to them. Variants are thought to spread more easily among people and possibly cause more serious illnesses.
The state has accounted for 67 cases of the UK variant (labeled B.1.1.7), but none of the South African (B.1.351) or Brazil (P.1) variants yet. However, health department information on this data has lagged behind in about two weeks.
The current plateau leaves the state in roughly the same place it was in June, when cases averaged about 470 daily. That was when the state epidemiologist, Dr. Angela Dunn, said the rate of spread could soon justify “a complete shutdown.”
The obvious difference between that terrifying warning that preceded Utah’s massive rise in cases and now is that Utah has three vaccines. And its spread is increasing. On Sunday, the state health department reported that it had reached more than a million doses administered.
“For those of you who have already received the shots, thank you,” the state health department said. “For the rest, please get the vaccine when it’s your turn. It’s how we get our lives back. ”
All adults can access vaccination appointments from April 1st. The vaccine has clearly helped as cases among teachers have declined, as have outbreaks in residences. And while San Juan County was one of the hardest hit areas in the country, it has now seen new infections gradually shrink.
Still, the pandemic is not over. The state reported more coronavirus deaths this week (51) than the previous week (41). And, the percentage of intensive care beds occupied by patients with COVID-19 has hovered around 70% for almost two weeks.
Below is a breakdown of coronavirus data released Sunday by the health department.
Vaccines administered during the past day / total vaccinations • 15,861 / 1,009,029.
Fully vaccinated Utahns • 365,176.
Cases reported last day • 396.
Deaths reported last day • 6.
• A Utah County woman between the ages of 65 and 84.
• Three men from Utah County: two between 45 and 64 and one between 65 and 84.
• A Salt Lake County man between the ages of 45 and 64.
• A man from Davis County over the age of 85.
Hospitalizations reported last day • 167. That exceeds 23 since Saturday. Of those currently hospitalized, 63 are in the ICU, four more than on Saturday.
Tests reported last day • 4,089 people were tested for the first time. A total of 7,397 people were tested.
Total so far • 378,379 cases; 2,027 dead; 15,104 hospitalizations; 2,289,803 people tested.