The Utah Department of Health reported over 5,000 new COVID-19 infections on Saturday, but said the number is artificially high after a technical glitch caused an incomplete reporting of cases on Friday.
The Health Department said Saturday’s case count of 5,352 is approximately 1,300 higher than it should be. A technical problem with their data system early Friday morning caused it to malfunction, resulting in an incomplete case count of 2,150.
Accounting for the adjusted numbers, Friday’s case count was closer to 3,500 cases and Saturday is more like 4,000 -- which is still alarmingly high.
The rolling 7-day average for positive tests is now 2,957 per day. The rolling 7-day average for positive laboratory tests is 23.6%.
Summit County recorded 30 new cases and Wasatch County set another record on Saturday, reporting 56 new infections. Summit County also continued its downward trend in infections per 100,000 people, which is now at 53.94.
The Health Department announced nine additional COVID-19 deaths, including a Summit County woman between the ages of 65 and 84 in a long-term care facility. Summit County has now recorded two COVID-19 deaths. Wasatch County has 10.
Included in Saturday’s deaths was a man between the ages of 25 and 44, all other fatalities were over the age of 45.
Utah reported 487 people currently hospitalized with the disease and statewide ICU bed capacity broke the 85% threshold for the first time on Saturday with 85.6%.
The Utah Hospital Association considers 85% capacity to effectively be full and said earlier this week several COVID-19 referral center ICUs in the state are at or near 100% capacity.
A statewide mask order is in place indefinitely and gatherings are limited to people within the same household until November 23rd in what Governor Gary Herbert is calling a “hard reset” of the state’s COVID-19 containment efforts.
