LOGAN – The New York Times says Utah is the fourth worst coronavirus hotspot in the country and the state’s weekend report reflects that with 1,017 new positive cases Saturday and 1,068 Sunday.
That gives Utah four straight days with over 1,000 cases.
The state’s current seven-day rolling average grew Sunday to 974 new positives a day. At the same the rate of positive tests was at 13.9 percent, just short of the previous record.
There are 180 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19. From the beginning of the outbreak, total hospitalizations are 3,729.
Sunday’s new numbers from the Bear River Health Department indicate 16 new cases in the district, eight in Cache County and eight in Box Elder County.
There have been 3,322 positive cases over the course of the pandemic in the Bear River Health District, 2,746 in Cache County, 567 in Box Elder County and 19 in Rich County.
Among the new positives in the district, 2,656 are considered “recovered”. There are three patients from Cache County hospitalized in the district.
State officials say the recent surge in cases has grown from the outbreak among those 15-to-24 years of age. New statistics indicate those in that demographic make up 27 percent of all the cases in Utah with most of them from Utah and Salt Lake counties.
Due to the spiking numbers Utah Health officials Friday issued a public awareness campaign aimed primarily at students recently returning to BYU and Utah Valley University University. It includes hashtags #ronalert and #avoidtherona.
Also, the Utah County Commission gave the go ahead to a mask-wearing mandate across the county.
The total number of positive cases detected since early-March in Utah has grown to 70,615. Among those positive tests in Utah since the outbreak, 54,201 are considered recovered. A total of 811,249 tests have been administered since March.
There have been 453 COVID-19 deaths in Utah which is five more than Saturday.
Idaho’s Sunday night report shows 40,501 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state. There have been 460 COVID deaths with 121 positive tests in Franklin County, 42 positives in Bear Lake County and 26 in Oneida County.