The Summit County Health Department reported 136 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, topping the previous single-day record of 95 cases set on Christmas Day.
Health department officials were not immediately available to comment Tuesday.
In a statement released on Monday addressing the recent spike in cases, county spokesperson Bridget Conway said the health department remains optimistic that the county’s high vaccine rates will continue to keep hospitalizations and deaths low.
According to the county’s COVID-19 dashboard, 84% of people living in the county who are eligible to receive a vaccine are considered fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated people are currently accounting for over seven times more of the county’s new cases than people who have been vaccinated.
According to statewide data, over the last month, unvaccinated people are over 18 times more likely to die, and 10 times more likely to end up in the hospital if they get sick. Over 1,800 new statewide cases were reported on Tuesday, along with four more deaths.
Summit County’s dramatic spike in cases is not being seen elsewhere in the state, with the exception of a less dramatic rise in cases in neighboring Wasatch County. Wasatch County has seen a steady increase in daily cases since December 20th, and also saw its highest single-day infection rate since December 2020 on Tuesday with 57 new cases.
Despite that, Wasatch County moved into what the state calls a moderate level of transmission on December 23rd after being in the high transmission category. Summit County has remained in the high transmission category.
Conway added on Monday that the county health department strongly encourages residents and visitors to stay home if they are sick, frequently wash their hands, wear masks indoors, and get tested if symptoms appear.
Summit County COVID-19 testing locations can be found here, and locations for a free vaccine can be found at vaccines.gov.
