SALT LAKE CITY – Utah’s COVID-19 cases increased by 1,517 on Friday, with another 35 deaths reported, according to the Utah Department of Health.
The new deaths reported reflect the total of two days of Thursday and Friday. An error with the data transfer resulted in the Department of Health not including deaths in COVID-19’s statistics report.
Sixteen of the deaths on Friday’s report should have been included in Thursday’s report, according to the health department. Six of the deaths included in Friday’s report occurred before the first of the year, but are still being investigated by the Utah Medical Investigator’s Office.
The Department of Health now estimates that there are 40,845 active cases of COVID-19 in Utah. According to the Department of Health, the current average number of seven-day positive cases per day is now at 1,550. The positive test rate per day for that period is now 18.1%.
There are 446 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, including 148 in intensive care. About 88% of all Utah intensive care unit beds were filled as of Friday, including 92% of the ICU beds in the 16 referral hospitals in the state. About 60% of non-ICU hospital beds are filled, according to Utah Department of Health data.
A total of 281,797 vaccines were administered in the state, compared to 267,027 on Thursday. Of these, 48,263 second doses administered as of Friday, state data show.
The new numbers point to a 0.4% increase in positive cases since Thursday. Of the 2,009,407 people tested so far for COVID-19 in Utah, 17.2% tested positive for the disease. The total number of tests performed increased by 13,172 on Friday, and 9,384 of those were, according to the Department of Health, tests for people who had not been tested for COVID-19 before.
Government Spencer Cox celebrated the numbers in a tweet saying there was a decline among health workers.
Can I share hopeful news? While the number of cases in the state is declining, we have seen a much sharper decline (about 26%) among health workers over the past few days. Since they received the first vaccine, this is the first proof that it works! 👊
– Spencer Cox (@SpencerJCox) 29 January 2021
The 35 deaths reported on Friday were:
- Two Box Elder County men aged between 65 and 84 who were hospitalized when they died
- A Carbon County man who was between 45 and 64 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- A Davis County man who was between 45 and 64 years old and was hospitalized when he died
- A Davis County woman over the age of 85 who was a resident of a long-term care facility
- An Iron County man who was between 65 and 84 years old and was admitted to the hospital when he died
- Two men in Salt Lake County who were between 65 and 84 years old and residents of long-term care facilities
- Two women in Salt Lake County who were over 85 and residents of long-term care facilities
- A Salt Lake County man who was between 45 and 64 years old and was admitted to the hospital when he died
- Two men in Salt Lake County who were over 85 and residents of long-term care facilities
- A Salt Lake County man who was between 65 and 84 years old and was not admitted to the hospital when he died
- A Salt Lake County man who was between the ages of 25 and 44 and was hospitalized when he died
- A Salt Lake County woman over the age of 85 who was hospitalized when she died
- Two men in Salt Lake County who were between 65 and 84 years old and were hospitalized when they died
- Two men in Salt Lake County who were between 45 and 64 years old and were hospitalized when they died
- Two women in Salt Lake County who were between 65 and 84 and were hospitalized when they died
- A Summit County man who was between 65 and 84 and was hospitalized when he died
- A Tooele County woman who was over 85 and was hospitalized when she died
- A Tooele County man who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and a resident of a long-term care facility
- A woman in Utah County who was between 65 and 84 years old and a resident of a long-term care facility
- A woman in Utah County who was between 65 and 84 and hospitalized when she died
- Three men in Utah County who were between 65 and 84 and hospitalized when they died
- A Washington County woman who was between 45 and 64 years old and a resident of a long-term care facility
- A Weber County woman who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and a resident of a long-term care facility
- A Weber County woman who was between 45 and 64 years old and a resident of a long-term care facility
- A Weber County woman over the age of 85 who was a resident of a long-term care facility
- A Weber County woman who was between 65 and 84 and was hospitalized when she died
Friday’s total gives 343,962 cases in Utah, with 13,353 total hospitalizations and 1,655 deaths due to the disease. The Department of Health estimates that 301,462 COVID-19 cases in Utah have now been recovered.
There is no COVID-19 news conference scheduled for Friday. Utah officials provided a pandemic update during a news conference Thursday.
Methods:
Test results now contain data from PCR tests and antigen tests. Positive COVID-19 test results are reported to the health department immediately after confirmation, but negative test results may not be reported 24 to 72 hours.
The total number of cases reported each day by the Utah Department of Health includes all cases of COVID-19 since the outbreak of Utah, including those currently infected, those recovering 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 did not die.
Reference hospitals are the 16 Utah hospitals that can provide the best COVID-19 health care.
According to the Department of Health, deaths usually occurred two to seven days before they were reported. Some deaths can come back even further, especially if the person is from Utah but died in another state.
The Department of Health reports both confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths according to the definition of the case set out by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. The death rates could change as case investigations are completed.
For deaths reported as COVID-19 deaths, the person would not have died if they had not had COVID-19, according to the Department of Health.
Data included in this story primarily reflects the state of Utah as a whole. Visit the website of your local health district for more localized data.
More information on Utah’s health education levels is available at coronavirus.utah.gov/utah-health-guidance-levels.
Information comes from the Utah Department of Health and coronavirus.utah.gov/case-counts. For more information on how the Utah Department of Health compiles and reports COVID-19 data, visit coronavirus.utah.gov/case-counts and browse to the “Data Notes” section at the bottom of the page.
Jacob Klopfenstein