COVID-19 case counts increase slightly as the state reports 37 more deaths

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Utah’s daily count of new coronavirus cases increased slightly on Thursday, but numbers remain below 200.

The Utah Department of Health also reported 37 more deaths, one of them a Salt Lake County woman age 18-24.

Most of the deaths reported Thursday — 33 — occurred before Feb. 24, according to the Utah Department of Health. As case counts have decreased, epidemiologists at the state and local health departments have been reviewing past death certificate data to make sure all COVID-19 deaths are counted.

Those reviews have identified 95 such cases out of the 110 deaths reported since Tuesday.

With the 37 deaths reported Thursday, Utah’s coronavirus death toll has risen to 4,681 since the pandemic began.

The 152 new reported coronavirus cases marks the 13th day in a row with fewer than 200 cases, and the 20th day in a row with fewer than 250.

In the past week, the average number of new cases per day was 124.

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 fell to 109 on Thursday, a decrease of 11 patients since Wednesday. There were 20 coronavirus patients in intensive care units, the same number reported Wednesday.

According to UDOH, 64.7% of Utah’s ICU beds are filled, which falls below the 85% threshold that healthcare workers have said is needed to have enough rooms, equipment and staff available to treat new patients. COVID-19 patients make up 6% of the state’s ICU patients.

A UDOH analysis continues to show that booster shots significantly decrease Utahns’ chances of dying of COVID-19. Over the past four weeks:

• An unvaccinated person who contracts the virus is 4.1 times more likely to die than a fully vaccinated person, and 19.3 times more likely than a boosted person.

• An unvaccinated person who contracts the virus is 2.1 times more likely to be hospitalized than a fully vaccinated person, and 5.3 times more likely than a boosted person.

• An unvaccinated person is 1.9 times as likely to contract the virus than a fully vaccinated person, and 1.9 times more likely than a boosted person.

While state data shows 61.5% of Utahns were fully vaccinated as of Thursday, just 27.4% of all Utahns have received a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Find where to get vaccinated at coronavirus.utah.gov/vaccine-distribution. Find where to get tested at coronavirus.utah.gov/utah-covid-19-testing-locations.

Breakdown of updated figures

Vaccine doses administered in the past day/total doses administered • 2,138 / 4,995,723.

Number of Utahns fully vaccinated • 1,997,305 — 61.5% of Utah’s total population. That is an increase of 663 in the past day.

Cases reported during the past day • 152.

Tests reported in the past day • A total of 6,550 people were tested.

Deaths reported in the past day• 37. Thirty-three of the deaths occurred before Feb. 24.

There were ten deaths in Salt Lake County: a woman 18-24; four men 45-64; three men and two women 85 or older.

Seven deaths were reported in Washington County: a man 25-44; two men 65-84; and three men and woman 85 or older.

Weber County reported six deaths: three women and a man 65-84, and two men 85 or older.

Four deaths were reported in Davis County: a man 65-84, and two men and a woman 85 or older.

Three Utah County residents died: a man and woman 65-84, and a man 85 or older.

Iron County reported a man and woman, each 85 or older, died. Uintah County reported the deaths of a man 65-84 and a woman 85 or older.

Three counties each reported a single death: an Emery County woman age 65-84; a Summit County man age 85 or older; and a Tooele County man age 85 or older.

Hospitalizations reported in the past day • 109. That’s 11 fewer than reported on Wednesday. Of those currently hospitalized, 20 are in intensive care, the same number reported Wednesday.

Percentage of positive tests • Under the state’s original method, the rate was 4.7% over the past day. That matches the seven-day average.

The state’s newer method counts all test results, including repeated tests of the same individual. Tuesday’s rate was 2.3%, lower than the seven-day average of 2.7%.

Totals to date • 927,165 cases; 4,681 deaths; 33,913 hospitalizations; 9,378,311 tests administered.

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