SALT LAKE CITY – According to Utah Department of Health officials, another 462 COVID-19 cases were reported Monday, with two more deaths.
The rolling seven-day average number of positive cases per day now stands at 951, according to the health department. According to the agency’s data, the average on Friday fell below 1,000 for the first time since Oct. 2.
There were 3,313 more Utahns tested and 6,644 more total tests reported Monday. The state’s seven-day mean ‘people over people’ positivity dropped to 14.1%, while the state’s ‘test over test’ rate fell to 6.4%.
Health department officials said a Weber County man and a Utah County man died as a result of the coronavirus. Both were between the ages of 65 and 84, and both were hospitalized at the time of their death.
State data shows that there are now 274 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah as the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations also continues to decline. The state referral center’s intensive care units had a 79% capacity and ICUs had a 75% capacity throughout Monday. Both figures are now below maximum usage and slightly above the state’s target of 77% for referral centers and 72% for statewide ICs.
While COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions continue to decline, the number of COVID-19 vaccinations is slowly rising – which is another positive sign. The state is reporting 1,033 more COVID-19 vaccinations as of Sunday’s update. In total, 525,033 Utahns have received the COVID-19 vaccine since December last year.
Monday’s totals give Utah a total of 361,756 confirmed cases as of March 2020, with 14,209 total hospitalizations and 1,796 total deaths from the disease.
No COVID-19 press conference is scheduled for Monday, as government offices are closed due to the holiday. The next briefing is scheduled for 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 for 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 start of the Utah outbreak, including those currently infected, those who have recovered from the disease, and those who are passed away.
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 can be even 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 set forth 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 on Utah 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. To learn more about 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.