SALT LAKE CITY — Utah health officials confirmed 394 new cases of the novel coronavirus and a rise in current hospitalizations on Sunday.
Now, 169 people are receiving hospital care for COVID-19 in Utah, up from 152 on Saturday. Twenty-three new patients entered hospitals with the disease since the previous day, according to the Utah Department of Health.
In Utah, 67 COVID-19 patients are in intensive care units, which are running at 62.2% capacity with both patients with the disease and others. Non-intensive care beds are 50.8% full, state health department data shows, and 182 of the state’s 1,297 ventilators are in use.
The previous two days brought Utah consecutive daily records in new positive tests, with 643 on Saturday and 586 on Friday. They prompted the state epidemiologist, Dr. Angela Dunn, to warn that the state’s hospital capacity is at risk of becoming overwhelmed.
It usually takes about a week before a case’s symptoms become severe enough that they require hospitalization, Dunn has said.
Utah has seen about 8% of its confirmed cases require hospitalization since the outbreak began. The average age of hospitalized patients is 53.7, and the median age is 55. Just under 52% have had at least one preexisting condition.
Gov. Gary Herbert took to Twitter Saturday to again ask residents to take precautions against the disease.
“As we see COVID-19 cases spike, I urge all Utahns to use face coverings. I wear face masks every day. I know it can look and feel a little different. But data shows it slows the spread of this pernicious virus. #StayStrong Utah,” Herbert tweeted.
Sunday’s new cases were confirmed as 3,518 people received tests, of which there was a 11.2% positive rate. They bring the state’s total since the pandemic began to 17,462 out of 296,395 tested, with an overall positive rate of 5.9%.
Among the new cases, an inmate at the Weber County Jail tested positive on Saturday, the Weber County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. That inmate has been placed in isolation and is receiving care from the jail’s medical staff, officials said. Staff members and inmates will undergo additional testing.
“We appreciate the efforts of our staff members in working diligently to limit community spread within the facility. We will continue to require employees and visitors to perform screenings for COVID-19 symptoms when entering the facility. We are requesting that all visitors wear a mask when inside of our facility,” according to the statement.
Outbreaks at three detention facilities across the state had resulted in 72 cases as of Sunday. Two or more infections at any site is considered an outbreak.
Just under 9,700 of the state’s cases are now considered recovered after passing the three-week point since their diagnoses.
The Beehive State also reported three more deaths with coronavirus Sunday — a Salt Lake County woman between ages 45-65, who was hospitalized when she died; a Utah County man between 65-84, who was also hospitalized; and a Washington County man between 65-84, who was a resident in a long-term care facility.
They bring the state’s toll from the disease to 158.
The latest breakdown of Utah cases, hospitalizations and deaths by health district:
- Salt Lake County, 8,878; 666 hospitalized; 102 deaths.
- Utah County, 3,136; 161 hospitalized; 21 deaths.
- Bear River (Box Elder, Cache, Rich), 1,274; 38 hospitalized; 2 deaths.
- Southwest Utah, 1,056; 79 hospitalized; 10 deaths.
- Davis County, 856; 61 hospitalized; 4 deaths.
- Weber-Morgan, 666; 59 hospitalized; 9 deaths.
- Summit County, 463; 43 hospitalized; 0 deaths.
- San Juan County, 383; 39 hospitalized; 7 deaths.
- Wasatch County, 380; 19 hospitalized; 3 deaths.
- Tooele County, 199; 11 hospitalized; 0 deaths.
- Central Utah, 102; 7 hospitalized; 0 deaths.
- TriCounty (Uinta Basin), 38; 1 hospitalized; 0 deaths.
- Southeast Utah, 31; 0 hospitalized; 0 deaths.