Utah reports 2,043 new COVID-19 cases, 14 more deaths on Saturday

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah health officials reported 2,043 more COVID-19 cases and 14 more deaths on Saturday.

The new cases were confirmed out of 7,443 people tested, with a positive rate of 27.4%, according to the Utah Department of Health. The seven-day moving average for new cases is now 2,575 per day, and the average rate of positive tests is 21.4%.

While the seven-day average has fallen since surpassing 3,000 cases earlier this week, it is too early to tell whether the state is seeing a drop in the number of cases as testing facilities were closed on Thursday, and some operate with reduced hours during the holidays. weekend.

Utah continues to be among the states with the highest infection rates, ranking 10th with 87.9 cases per 100,000 population in the past two weeks. Every county in Utah has confirmed a disease rate considered very high in the past two weeks by the state’s health department.

On Saturday, 573 patients were hospitalized for COVID-19 in Utah, four more than those hospitalized the day before. Intensive care units statewide were 81.7% full, and referral intensive care units capable of treating the most severe patients were 85.1% full.

The deaths reported on Saturday bring the state’s death toll to 863. They were:

• Washington County male, aged 25 to 44, not hospitalized at time of death.
• Woman from Salt Lake County, over 85, resident in long-term care facility.
• Weber County woman, 25-44, unknown if hospitalized.
• Woman from Salt Lake County, over 85, hospitalized.
• Male from Salt Lake County, 65 to 84, hospitalized.
• Davis County man, 65-84, hospitalized.
• Male from Salt Lake County, aged 25 to 44, hospitalized.
• Washington County male, over 85, not hospitalized.
• Woman from Salt Lake County, over 85, hospitalized.
• Washington County male, 65-84, resident in long-term care facility.
• Male from Salt Lake County, 65 to 84, hospitalized.
• Woman from Weber County, 45-64, hospitalized.
• Male from Salt Lake County, 65 to 84, hospitalized.
• Male from Utah County, 65-84, hospitalized.

To date, 192,087 cases have been confirmed out of 1,412,084 people tested in Utah, with a positive rate of 13.6%. It is estimated that approximately 130,000 cases have recovered after surviving three weeks after their diagnosis. Hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic now total 8,029.