The number of coronavirus cases in Utah continues to decline, but the number of deaths is increasing

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There has been an increase of more than 20 deaths from COVID-19 in the past week.

(Trent Nelson | Tribune file photo) Students will be lining up for COVID-19 tests when they return to Highland High School in Salt Lake City on Monday, February 8, 2021.

February 28, 2021, 6:41 PM

Updated: 9:52 PM

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As the number of daily coronavirus infections continues its downward trajectory, there is one trend moving in the opposite direction.

Deaths from COVID-19 are on the rise. There have been 83 new deaths in the past week, compared to just 59 the week before.

Vaccinations administered in the past day / total vaccinations • 14,243 / 716,536.

As vaccinations continue to increase across the country, Utah announced this week that it will receive the newly authorized Johnson & Johnson release on Wednesday. That particular vaccine only requires one dose and is easier to store compared to the Pfizer and Moderna iterations, which require two doses.

“This is a testament to modern research, science, public health and medicine. We are in a race to save as many lives as possible through vaccines, ”Utah Governor Spencer Cox said in a statement Friday. ‘This vaccine will do that. Remember that all three vaccines are safe and effective. You can trust that each of them will protect you and those around you from COVID-19. “

And with vaccinations already open to a greater number of people with underlying health conditions, the state will rely on the honor system and not require Utahns to provide proof of eligibility. Cox recently acknowledged that people may be lying about having an underlying condition.

Number of Utahns that have received two doses • 254,569.

Cases reported in the past day • 465

Cases keep falling week after week. In the past seven days, there were a total of 4,500 new cases. It was at 5,441 a week earlier. There were no days during the past week when the daily count exceeded 900.

Deaths reported in the past day • Six – four men, two women.

Three of the men were from Summit County, Salt Lake County, and Tooele County, respectively, and all were between the ages of 45 and 64; the fourth man was from Utah County and was over 85 years old.

Both women were between the ages of 65 and 84. One was from Weber County and the other from Salt Lake County.

Hospital admissions reported in the past day • 203. That is 20 less than Saturday. Of those currently hospitalized, 84 are in intensive care units – five fewer than Saturday.

Tests reported in the past day • 4,365 people were tested for the first time. A total of 8,422 people were tested.

Percentage of positive tests • According to the state’s original method, the rate is 10.7%. That is lower than the seven-day average of 11.6%.

Utah’s new method counts all test results, including repeated tests from the same person. Sunday’s rate is now at 5.5%, slightly higher than the seven-day average of 5.2%.

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

Totals so far • 371,235 cases; 1,935 dead; 14,695 hospital admissions; 2,205,791 people tested.

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