The Utah Department of Health reported just over 2,600 new COVID-19 cases Friday and 14 more deaths.
Friday’s 2,644 new cases continues a slow, but steady decline in the average number of daily new COVID-19 cases in Utah since Dec. 6.
Summit County continued to rebound from a record day on Wednesday with over 50 cases to report 27 on Friday. Wasatch County added 35 as the county continues to right the ship after an alarming post-Thanksgiving surge.
The statewide rolling seven-day average for positive tests is now 2,494 per day and the seven-day average for positive laboratory tests is 22.12%. For comparison, Summit County’s average for positive tests is 14.2% and Wasatch County’s is 25.2%.
Currently, 539 Utahns are hospitalized with the disease statewide and referral center ICU beds in Utah are 99.3% full. Referral center ICUs are where the majority of COVID-19 patients are treated. Hospitals consider 85% ICU capacity to be essentially full once patient rotations, PPE, and sterilization protocols are taken into account.
The Health Department also reported 14 additional COVID-19 deaths, bringing the statewide death toll since the start of the pandemic to 1,140. None of the deaths reported on Friday were from either Summit or Wasatch Counties.
COVID-19 vaccinations are underway in Utah with frontline healthcare workers first in line, followed by school staff and first responders. Vaccinations for other essential workers and the general public are not expected to become available until next spring.
In the meantime, a statewide mask order remains in place and gatherings are strongly encouraged to be under 10 people.
