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SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Department of Health reported 4,672 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday with 13 additional deaths, breaking the record for the number of cases reported in a single day.
The Department of Health now estimates that there are 50,904 active cases of the disease in Utah.
The sudden surge in cases comes after the state has seen a steady decline in COVID-19 cases over the past few weeks. In November, officials feared a Thanksgiving spike, but were happy to report only a small increase after the holidays.
However, with Thursday’s numbers, an increase in Christmas-related cases is a possibility.
Governor elect Spencer cox wrote on Twitter that while it’s possible the sharp rise in cases was due to poor testing last week, it may be the start of a holiday-related surge.
“We are concerned that people were less careful on Christmas,” he wrote in a tweet. “If you are planning large gatherings to celebrate New Year’s Eve, please reconsider.”
Numbers
The sliding average number of positive cases per day over seven days is now 2,288 according to the health department. The positive test rate per day during this period is now 25.6%. The total number of deaths since the start of the pandemic is now 1,269.
Of the 1,726,003 people tested for COVID-19 in Utah so far, 16% have tested positive for COVID-19. The health department reported that 11,412 new people had been tested for COVID-19 on Thursday.
There are now 510 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah with 158 in intensive care units, state data shows. The total hospitalizations since the start of the epidemic are now 10,956.
About 83.2% of all intensive care beds are occupied in Utah as of Thursday, including about 87% of intensive care beds at the state’s 16 referral hospitals. About 55.7% of non-ICU hospital beds are occupied, according to state data.
A total of 30,200 COVID-19 vaccines have now been administered, up from 23,970 on Wednesday, according to state data. Health officials note that there is a data delay of up to seven days from when vaccine doses are shipped to Utah, administered to patients, and reported to the health department. of State. The state reported Wednesday that more than 125,000 total doses of the vaccine had been shipped or approved for shipment to Utah.
This story will be updated.
Methodology:
Test results now include 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 for 24 to 72 hours.
The total number of cases reported each day by the Utah Department of Health includes all COVID-19 cases since the start of the Utah epidemic, including those currently infected, those who have recovered from illness and those who died.
Cured cases are defined as anyone who was diagnosed with COVID-19 three weeks or more ago and has not died.
Referral hospitals are the 16 hospitals in Utah capable of providing the best healthcare for COVID-19.
The deaths reported by the state have typically occurred two to seven days before they are reported, according to the health department. Some deaths can be even more distant, especially if the person is from Utah but died in another state.
The health department is reporting deaths from confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 according to the case definition set by the State Council and territorial epidemiologists. The number of deaths may change as case investigations are completed.
For deaths reported as COVID-19 deaths, the person would not have died if they did not have COVID-19, according to the health department.
The data included in this story primarily reflects the state of Utah as a whole. For more localized data, visit your local health district website.
More information on Utah’s health counseling levels is available at coronavirus.utah.gov/utah-health-guidance-levels.
The 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 scroll to the “Data Notes” section ” at the bottom of the page.
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