SALT LAKE CITY – The number of COVID-19 cases in Utah jumped 1,517 on Friday, with 35 more deaths, according to the Utah Department of Health.
The newly reported deaths reflect Thursday and Friday’s two-day total. A data transmission error prompted the health department to report the deaths on Thursday as COVID-19 statistics.
According to the health department, sixteen of the deaths in Friday’s report should have been included in Thursday’s report. Six of the deaths listed on Friday’s report occurred before the first of the year, but were still under investigation by the medical examiner’s office in Utah.
The health department now estimates that there are 40,845 active cases of COVID-19 in Utah. The rolling seven-day average number of positive cases per day is now 1,550, according to the health department. The positive test rate per day for that period is now 18.1%.
There are currently 446 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Utah, including 148 in intensive care units, state data shows. About 88% of all intensive care beds in Utah were occupied as of Friday, including 92% of the ICU beds in the state’s 16 referral hospitals. According to health department data, about 60% of non-ICU hospital beds are filled in Utah.
In total, 281,797 vaccines have been administered in the state, up from 267,027 Thursday. Of those, 48,263 are second doses administered as of Friday, state data show.
The new numbers indicate an increase of 0.4% in positive cases since Thursday. Of the 2,009,407 people tested for COVID-19 so far in Utah, 17.2% have tested positive for the disease. The total number of tests conducted increased by 13,172 Friday, and 9,384 of those were tests from people who had not previously been tested for COVID-19, according to the health department.
Gov. Spencer Cox tweeted the numbers, saying there was a decline among health workers.
May I share some hopeful news? While the number of cases is declining statewide, we’ve seen a much sharper drop (about 26%) among health workers in recent days. Since they were the first to get the vaccine, this is the first real proof we have that it works! 👊
– Spencer Cox (@SpencerJCox) January 29, 2021
The 35 deaths reported Friday were:
- Two Box Elder County men who were between the ages of 65 and 84 who were hospitalized when they died
- A Carbon County man between the ages of 45 and 64 who was hospitalized when he died
- A Davis County man between the ages of 45 and 64 who was hospitalized when he died
- A Davis County woman over the age of 85 living in a long-term care facility
- An Iron County man who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was hospitalized when he died
- Two men from Salt Lake County who were between the ages of 65 and 84 and lived in long-term care facilities
- Two women in Salt Lake County who were over 85 and lived in long-term care facilities
- A Salt Lake County man between the ages of 45 and 64 who was hospitalized when he died
- Two men from Salt Lake County who were over 85 and lived in long-term care facilities
- A Salt Lake County man who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was not hospitalized when he died
- A Salt Lake County man between the ages of 25 and 44 who was hospitalized when he died
- A Salt Lake County woman over the age of 85 who was hospitalized when she died
- 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, aged between 45 and 64, were hospitalized when they died
- Two women from Salt Lake County who were between the ages of 65 and 84 and were hospitalized when they died
- A Summit County man who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was hospitalized when he died
- A Tooele County woman over the age of 85 who was hospitalized when she died
- A man from Tooele County who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and lived in a long-term care facility
- A woman in Utah County who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and lived in a long-term care facility
- A woman in Utah County who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was hospitalized when she died
- Three Utah County men who were between the ages of 65 and 84 who were hospitalized when they died
- A Washington County woman who was between the ages of 45 and 64 and lived in a long-term care facility
- A Weber County woman who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and lived in a long-term care facility
- A Weber County woman who was between the ages of 45 and 64 and lived in a long-term care facility
- A Weber County woman over the age of 85 living in a long-term care facility
- A woman from Weber County who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was hospitalized when she died
Friday’s totals give Utah 343,962 total confirmed cases, with 13,353 total hospitalizations and 1,655 total deaths from the disease. The health department estimates that there are now 301,462 Utah COVID-19 cases recovered.
No press conference on COVID-19 is scheduled for Friday. Utah officials gave a pandemic update at a press conference on Thursday.
Methodology:
The test results now include data from PCR tests and antigen tests. Positive COVID-19 test results will be reported to the health department immediately upon confirmation, but negative test results may not be reported until 24 to 72 hours.
The total number of cases reported by the Utah Department of Health each day includes all cases of COVID-19 since the Utah outbreak began, including those currently infected, those who 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 has not died.
Referral hospitals are the 16 hospitals in Utah that can provide the best COVID-19 healthcare.
Deaths reported by the state usually occurred two to seven days before reporting, according to the health department. Some deaths may be further back, especially if the person is from Utah but died in another state.
The health department reports both confirmed and probable deaths from COVID-19 according to the case definition outlined by the Council of State and territorial epidemiologists. Death rates are subject to change as the investigation of the case is completed.
For deaths reported as COVID-19 deaths, the person would not have died if they had not had COVID-19, according to the health department.
The data in this story primarily reflects the state of Utah as a whole. Visit your local health district website for more localized information.
More information about Utah’s health guidelines is available at coronavirus.utah.gov/utah-health-guidance-levels.
Information is from the Utah Department of Health and coronavirus.utah.gov/case-counts. For more information on how the Utah Department of Health collects and reports COVID-19 data, visit coronavirus.utah.gov/case-counts and scroll down to the “Data Notes” section at the bottom of the page.
Jacob Klopfenstein