SALT LAKE CITY — Eighty-seven new cases of COVID-19 in Utah were reported on Monday, bringing the state’s total of confirmed cases to 806.
One additional death from the disease was also confirmed, bringing the state’s total to four so far.
The latest death reported was a patient in Salt Lake County between the ages of 18 and 60, said Dr. Angela Dunn, state epidemiologist with the Utah Department of Health.
The Salt Lake County Health Department confirmed the patient died Saturday, but additional information about the patient has not been released. Family members say 24-year-old Silvia Deyanira Meléndez died at University Hospital from the disease. Her case was not reflected in the Utah Health Department’s weekend tally of deaths.
Monday evening, representatives of the Navajo Nation announced an additional case in San Juan County, putting Utah’s total cases at 807. The Navajo Nation has a total of 128 cases among its members in areas of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico, according to a news release.
The Navajo Nation also announced a curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. beginning immediately, with the exception of essential employees reporting to or from work.
Just over 16,000 Utahns have now been tested for COVID-19 — an increase of more than 2,000 tests since Sunday.
Eight percent of those with the disease have required hospitalization, and 44% of those hospitalized have required intensive care, Gov. Gary Herbert said during a news briefing.
Other Utah case statistics released Monday:
- 15% of confirmed cases are patients under 24 years old
- 42% are between the ages of 25 and 44
- 32% are between the ages of 45 and 64
- 13% are 65 or older
Of those diagnosed with COVID-19 who required hospitalization:
- 3% are age 24 or younger
- 18% are between the ages of 25 and 44
- 48% are between the ages of 45 and 64
- 31% are 65 or older
The rate of hospitalizations remains low compared to other states, according to Dunn. But if the number of cases continues to rise at the same rate, it will overwhelm the health care system, she said.
Ten percent of the cases have been caused by community spread.
“So we’re not growing as fast as our neighboring state. That means social distancing is working,” Dunn said.
The state is currently in the “urgent” phase of its response to the pandemic, which includes ramping up testing. About 2,000 tests are being administered every day, but health officials want to increase that number to 7,000, according to Herbert.
Health officials’ current goals include slowing down transmission and preserving hospital resources.
Herbert issued a new executive order Monday evening to allow state and local entities participating in the Utah Retirement Systems to extend work opportunities to recently retired people to help perform critical government functions during the pandemic. The order applies to those who worked in health care, emergency services, communications, financial services, food and agriculture, government facilities and public health facilities, among others.
Officials on Monday also announced a newly created child care resource for those on the “front lines” of the battle against COVID-19, including health care workers, law enforcement and first responders. The new One Utah Child Care program will provide free, temporary child care centers to serve families of essential employees, Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox said.
Beginning Monday, eligible parents can register on jobs.utah.gov/covid19 for the free child care throughout the state by vetted providers. Sites are continuing to be approved every day for the program, said Tracy Gruber, director of the Utah Office of Child Care.
A new small business bridge loan program was also announced Monday. The Utah Leads Together program will offer help for businesses impacted by the pandemic. It will use $8 million in repurposed state economic development funds, with a minimum of 25% of the funds diverted to rural businesses, said Val Hale, director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.
Application for the first funding round begins Tuesday morning, Hale said.
The governor issued an additional executive order Monday night allowing funds from the state’s Industrial Assistance Account to be accessed for the zero-interest bridge loan program.
Information about the small business loan program will be available on coronavirus.utah.gov.
The State Office of Management and Budget is working with hospital medical teams to determine bed capacity and needs. Herbert said 512 intensive care unit beds are available in the state, “which maybe seems like a lot, but it’s not a lot.” If the state doesn’t bend the curve, the system could become overwhelmed, he said.
Addressing criticism that the state hasn’t publicly released demographics on its COVID-19 monitoring website, Herbert said that is in the works and will become part of publicly-shared information soon.
“The next two weeks are critical if we’re going to be able to do this. And everybody has a role to play and everybody needs to be engaged,” he said, reiterating the encouragement given in Friday’s directive for Utahns to “stay home and stay safe” and employers to ensure physical distancing between workers.
Herbert also thanked “our young people ... for what they’re doing to slow the spread of coronavirus.” For teenagers especially, it’s “not easy,” he said, “but they are the key to our success.”
Young people need to know they’re not immune to the disease or “invincible,” the governor noted, adding that they are actually more susceptible than originally believed.
Wasatch County issued a public health order Monday requiring residents to stay home except for essential travel. The order also closes all businesses deemed nonessential that can’t follow social distancing guidelines.
A similar order was issued by Salt Lake County officials on Sunday.
A breakdown of the current Utah COVID-19 cases by health district:
- Salt Lake County, 360 residents, 3 nonresidents
- Summit County, 167 residents, 9 nonresidents
- Davis County, 77 residents
- Utah County, 57 residents, 1 nonresident
- Wasatch County, 44 residents, 1 nonresident
- Weber-Morgan, 39 residents
- Southwest Utah, 15 residents, 5 nonresidents
- Bear River Health Department, 13 residents
- Tooele County, 9 residents
- San Juan County, 5 residents
- TriCounty Health Department, 1 resident
- Southeast Utah, 1 resident
The University of Utah School of Medicine announced it is holding a donation drive this week for protective gear to distribute as needed throughout the community health care system.
The school is seeking N95 respirator masks and other face masks — including surgical masks, masks used by painters, carpenters and hobbyists — medical or disposable gloves, eye protection goggles, face shields, medical or disposable gowns or aprons, hand sanitizer of all sizes and disinfectant wipes. Boxes that are already open will be accepted, but used gloves or masks will not be accepted.
Items can be dropped off between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Friday-Sunday at the Trolley Square additional parking lot, 650 E. 900 South.
