SALT LAKE CITY — After taking off New Year’s Day, the Utah Department of Health’s first report of 2021 shows 5,042 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 25 new deaths in the state.
The department says 3,110 of those cases, and nine of the deaths, would have been reported on Friday.
With the update, Utah has now seen 281,654 total confirmed cases and 1,294 deaths from COVID-19 since the pandemic began. The health department says 14,900 more Utahns were tested over Thursday’s numbers and that 1,740,903 total Utahns have now been tested overall.
There are 487 Utahns currently hospitalized due to the coronavirus, including 152 in intensive care, and 11,101 total hospitalizations since the pandemic reached Utah last year.
Over the past week, the state is averaging 2,506 new reported cases per day and a positive test rate of 27.4%.
Amid concerns about the speed of deployment of the two approved coronavirus vaccines, Utah Saturday reported 46,374 vaccine doses have been administered so far. That’s up more than 16,000 doses from the number reported on New Year’s Eve; both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine requires multiple doses.
There is no coronavirus news conference from state leaders scheduled for the weekend. Gov. Gary Herbert, who led most of the news conferences in 2020, is leaving office and will be formally replaced by Gov.-elect Spencer Cox on Monday.
We will report 46,374 vaccines administered. Remember, “Doses Administered” is the number of vaccine doses that have been given to people and reported to the UDOH. There will be a lag between when vaccines are shipped, administered to a person, and finally reported to us.
— Utah Dept. of Health (@UtahDepOfHealth) January 2, 2021
The 25 deaths reported over the past two days include six Salt Lake County residents:
- Two men between ages 65 and 84 who were residents of a long-term care facility
- Two women between ages 65 and 84 who were hospitalized when they died
- A man between ages 65 and 84 who was hospitalized
- A woman over age 85 who was hospitalized
They also include six residents of Davis County:
- A man between ages 65 and 84 who was hospitalized
- A woman between ages 25 and 44 who was not hospitalized
- Three men over age 85 who were residents of a long-term care facility
- A woman between ages 65 and 84 who was the resident of a long-term care facility
Washington, San Juan, Utah and Uintah counties also saw multiple deaths, with others scattered throughout the state:
- A Washington County woman over age 85 who was the resident of a long-term care facility
- A Washington County man between ages 45 and 64 who was hospitalized
- A Washington County man between ages 65 and 84 who was hospitalized
- A Utah County woman over age 85 who was the resident of a long-term care facility
- A Utah County man over age 85 who was the resident of a long-term care facility
- A Uintah County woman over age 85 who was not hospitalized
- A Uintah County man between ages 65 and 84 who was hospitalized
- A San Juan County woman between ages 25 and 44 who was hospitalized
- A San Juan County man between ages 25 and 44 who was hospitalized
- A Box Elder County woman between ages 65 and 84 who was hospitalized
- A Weber County woman between ages 45 and 64 who was not hospitalized
- A Duchesne County man between ages 65 and 84 who was hospitalized
- A Sanpete County woman between ages 65 and 84 who was hospitalized
A first email from the Utah Department of Health incorrectly stated the total number of coronavirus-related deaths recorded in the state; it corrected that number in a follow-up email.
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 they are confirmed, but negative test results may not be reported for 24 to 72 hours.
The total number of cases reported by the Utah Department of Health each day includes all cases of COVID-19 since Utah’s outbreak began, including those who are currently infected, those who have recovered from the disease, and those who have died.
Recovered cases are defined as anyone who was diagnosed with COVID-19 three or more weeks ago and has not died.
Referral hospitals are the 16 Utah hospitals with the capability to provide the best COVID-19 health care.
Deaths reported by the state typically occurred two to seven days prior to when they are reported, according to the health department. Some deaths may be from even further back, especially if the person is from Utah but has died in another state.
The health department reports both confirmed and probable COVID-19 case deaths per the case definition outlined by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. The death counts are subject to change as case investigations are completed.
For deaths that are reported as COVID-19 deaths, the person would not have died if they did not have COVID-19, according to the health department.
Data included in this story primarily reflects the state of Utah as a whole. For more localized data, visit your local health district’s website.
More information about Utah’s health guidance levels is available at coronavirus.utah.gov/utah-health-guidance-levels.
Information is 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 down to the “Data Notes” section at the bottom of the page.
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