The number of new COVID-19 cases in Utah soars to nearly 700

The state also reports five more deaths.

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New cases of COVID-19 are on the rise again in Utah. Since Monday hit a nine-month low of 221, that number more than doubled to 481 on Tuesday – and jumped to 699 on Wednesday.

Hospitalizations also increased, with five more deaths reported by the Utah Department of Health. Four of the five deaths occurred before Feb. 17 and were only recently confirmed as related to the coronavirus.

Vaccine Doses Administered Over the Last Day / Total Doses Administered • 27,654 / 1,054,727.

Utahns fully vaccinated • 384,054.

Cases reported in the past day • 699.

Deaths reported in the past day • Five.

The dead were: a woman 85 years of age or older in Salt Lake County; a man 45-64 in San Juan County; a woman 65-84 in Utah County; a man 65-84 in Washington County; and a woman aged 65-84 in Weber County.

Hospital admissions reported in the past day • 180. That is nine higher than Tuesday. Of those currently hospitalized, 63 are in intensive care units – eight more than on Tuesday.

Tests reported in the past day • 8,666 people were tested for the first time. A total of 19,892 people were tested.

Percentage of positive tests • According to the state’s original method, the rate is 8.1%. That’s about the same as the seven-day average of 8.3%.

The new method counts all test results, including repeated tests from the same person. Wednesday’s rate is now at 3.5%, lower than the seven-day average of 4.1%.

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

Totals so far • 379,780 cases; 2,037 dead; 15,198 hospital admissions; 2,307,238 people tested.