State records 1,819 new cases, now in top five cases per capita in the United States

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With seven other deaths reported on Sunday, 87 people died last week.

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Healthcare worker Melissa Georgi teases her husband Nephi Georgi as he receives the vaccine with co-workers during a work break on Wednesday. The Davis County Department of Health hosted a drive-thru vaccination for non-hospital healthcare workers and first responders at the Legacy Center in Farmington on December 30, 2020.

| January 3, 2021 at 8:03 pm

| Updated: 8:33 p.m.

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Utah concluded a tumultuous week over the coronavirus by adding 1,819 cases to the tally, meaning a total of 18,599 new cases were reported in the week following the Christmas vacation.

Overall, 283,473 cases of the coronavirus have been counted in Utah, which means that about 1 in 11 Utah residents have tested positive for the virus since the start of the pandemic. Officials expect this to underestimate the number of people who actually contracted the virus somewhat, as testing has sometimes been limited and frequently omits asymptomatic cases.

This case rate ranks Utah fifth in the country for per capita cases in the United States, behind only North and South Dakota, Iowa and Tennessee. Utah rose in the rankings after setting a new daily record for coronavirus cases on Dec. 31, a day with 4,672 reported cases that indicated a post-Christmas surge.

However, despite the high number of cases, Utah ranks only 45th in the country in terms of per capita deaths. Utah’s relatively young and healthy population means those who contract the coronavirus are less likely to die than in other states. In terms of testing, Utah ranks 20th per capita.

The week following Christmas also saw Utah’s positive rates rise to new highs. Sunday’s report saw an increase of 4,802 tests, which means a positive rate of 37.8%. The Utah Department of Health says the state’s seven-day positivity rate is 29.2%.

Seven Utahns have reportedly died since Saturday from the coronavirus, bringing the weekly tally to 87 and the overall tally to 1,301. Sunday’s new deaths were:

• Three men from Washington County, two between 65 and 84 and one over 85.

• Two men from Utah County, one between 65 and 84, the other over 85.

• A man from Salt Lake County over 85 years old.

• A woman from Weber County between the ages of 65 and 84.

Meanwhile, 486 people were reported to be hospitalized on Sunday with the virus. The intensive care units of referral center hospitals have a capacity of 86.4%, even higher than the 85% referral where hospital managers can effectively fill available beds.

The vaccine rollout accelerated this week, while still falling short of targets set by state and federal authorities. Utah Senator Mitt Romney denounced the lack of a federal vaccination plan, calling it “as incomprehensible as it is inexcusable.”

Local officials were also disappointed with the speed of the vaccination. Rich Lakin, director of the immunization program for the Utah Department of Health, said at a press briefing Wednesday that Utah’s immunization numbers have been “slower than we expected and slower than we wanted. But we are taking steam. “

Overall, 47,382 people have been vaccinated so far in Utah, an increase of just 1,008 in Sunday’s report. Since the start of vaccinations, Utah has recorded an average of 2,632 new vaccinations per day – at this rate, it would take nearly 20 months to vaccinate 50% of Utah’s population. The sluggishness of the immunization schedule has meant that the scheduled date for teachers’ immunizations, initially scheduled for mid-January, has been delayed by at least a week.
This week also saw more inner workings of Utah’s coronavirus response emerge. Utah Department of Health officials – including state epidemiologist Angela Dunn – have been frustrated with some of the primarily economic measures taken by the governor’s Office of Management and Budget, have shown emails discovered by the Salt Lake Tribune. Dunn was concerned about her team’s lack of oversight with projects like TestUtah.com, which the governor’s office was managing.
The Utahns have cut back on vacation-related travel due to the pandemic, but less than residents of other states. Overall, 20% fewer Utahn took car trips this holiday season, compared to a 27% reduction nationwide. The Sundance Film Festival has officially canceled all in-person activities.

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