The Utah Department of Health announced a Wasatch County resident was among the COVID-19 deaths reported on Wednesday. Summit County also recorded a record number of new cases in a single day.
The death was recorded as a man over the age of 85 who was a long-term care facility resident at the time of his death.
Wasatch County’s COVID-19 death toll since the start of the pandemic is now 15. No new Summit County deaths were reported and the county’s death toll remains at 5.
Statewide, the Health Department reported 19 additional deaths on Wednesday, including the one from Wasatch County, bringing the state’s death toll to 1,096.
2,928 new cases were reported statewide. The rolling seven-day average for positive tests is now 2,600 per day and the average for positive laboratory tests is 23.02%.
Wednesday’s case count was the highest statewide number since December 11th after a dip in testing over the weekend and earlier this week.
Summit County set a new record for new cases in a day, recording an even 50 cases for the first time. The county had been experiencing a steady decline in the average number of cases over the past week so Wednesday’s spike is uncharacteristic compared to this week’s other numbers. The county has averaged roughly 23 cases per day over the last seven days.
Wasatch County reported 33 new cases as the county continues to work to get a severe post-Thanksgiving spike under control. Wasatch County’s seven-day rolling average of cases has been steadily declining from a high of 50 on December 5th and is now at 30.
Statewide, 556 Utahns are currently hospitalized with the disease and COVID-19 referral center ICUs, where the majority of COVID patients are treated, are currently at 97.6% capacity.
COVID-19 vaccinations in Utah continued on Wednesday. In the first phase of vaccinations, healthcare personnel who work in high-risk environments at hospitals that provide care to the highest number of COVID-19 patients are first in line, followed by remaining healthcare personnel, school staff, and first responders.
A statewide mask mandate remains in place and gatherings are encouraged to be fewer than 10 people.
