The number of new COVID-19 cases in Utah rises 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 reaching a nine-month low of 221 on Monday, the number has more than doubled to 481 on Tuesday – and to 699 on Wednesday.

The number of hospitalizations has also increased, and another five deaths have been reported by the Utah Department of Health. Four of the five deaths occurred before February 17 and were only recently confirmed as coronavirus-related.

Vaccine doses administered in the past 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 deaths were: A woman 85 years 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 65-84 in Weber County.

Hospitalizations reported in the past day • 180. It’s nine from Tuesday. Of those currently hospitalized, 63 are in intensive care units – eight more than 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%. This is about the same as the seven day average of 8.3%.

The new method counts all test results, including repeated tests of the same individual. 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.]

Total to date • 379,780 cases; 2,037 deaths; 15 198 hospitalizations; 2,307,238 people were tested.