SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Department of Health reported 4,672 new COVID-19 cases with 13 additional deaths on Thursday, breaking the record of the number of cases reported in one day.
The health department now estimates there are 50,904 active cases of the disease in Utah.
The sudden rise in the number of cases comes after the state has seen a steady decline in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. In November, officials feared a spike on Thanksgiving Day, but were happy to report only a small post-holiday increase.
However, with Thursday’s numbers, an increase in the number of cases related to Christmas is a possibility.
Gov.-elect Spencer Cox wrote on Twitter that while it’s possible that the surge in the number of cases is due to low test results last week, it may be the start of a vacation-related wave.
“Our fear is that people were less careful during Christmas,” he wrote in a tweet. “If you’re planning large gatherings to celebrate New Year’s Eve, think again.”
The numbers
The rolling seven-day average number of positive cases per day is now 2,288 according to the health department. The positive test rate per day for that period is now 25.6%. The total number of deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic is now 1,269.
Of the 1,726,003 people tested for COVID-19 so far in Utah, 16% have tested positive for COVID-19. The health department reported that 11,412 new people were tested for COVID-19 on Thursday.
There are now 510 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, with 158 in intensive care units, state data shows. The total number of hospital admissions since the start of the outbreak is now 10,956.
About 83.2% of all IC beds have been occupied in Utah as of Thursday, including about 87% of the IC beds in the state’s 16 referral hospitals. About 55.7% of non-IC hospital beds are occupied, according to state data.
According to state data, a total of 30,200 COVID-19 vaccines have now been administered, up from 23,970 Wednesday. Health officials note that there is a delay in data reporting of up to seven days from when vaccine doses are shipped to Utah, administered to patients, and reported to the state health agency. The state reported on Wednesday that more than 125,000 total vaccine doses have been shipped or approved for shipment to Utah.
This story is being updated.
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 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 they were reported, the health department said. 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 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 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. 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.
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Lauren Bennett