HEALTH

COVID-19 deaths in Utah may not be reported in real-time

UPDATED: JULY 15, 2020 AT 5:21 PM

People get tested for COVID-19 outside of the Montezuma Creek Community Health Center in Montezuma Creek, San Juan County, on May 1. Photo: Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

BY CURT GRESSETH
KSLNewsRadio

SALT LAKE CITY — There were seven more deaths Wednesday in Utah from COVID-19 than the day before for a total of 233 deaths since the global pandemic began. But the daily number does not necessarily mean all the deaths occurred within the previous 24 hours, health officials said.

How COVID-19 deaths are reported

When the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) reports deaths, they usually happened between two and seven days before. (This is also true for reports of positive cases and lab tests.)

When a Utahn dies out-of-state, the report of death can sometimes take longer than seven days.

On a daily basis, UDOH provides gender, age range and county of residency of the deceased for each COVID-19 case reported. For privacy reasons, UDOH is unable to provide the date-of-death for each case.

COVID-19 Case Counts for July 15:

Positives:

30,891 positive cases – an increase of 413 cases from yesterday.

Lab Tests:

432,080 total tests – an increase of 7,559 tests from yesterday.

Trends:

The rolling 7-day average for positive tests is 589 per day. The rolling 7-day average for percent of positive laboratory tests is 10.13%.

Hospitalizations:

There are 204 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19. Total hospitalizations from the beginning of the outbreak are 1,913.

Deaths:

233 total deaths – seven more more than yesterday. Those include:

Davis County:

Male, between 65-84, hospitalized

Salt Lake County:

Male between 65-84, not hospitalized
Male, between 45-64, hospitalized

San Juan County:

Female, older than 85, long-term care facility

Utah County:

Female, between 65-84, not hospitalized

Weber County:

Male, between 45-64, not hospitalized
Male, between 65-84, hospitalized

Recovered:

18,593 of our cases are considered “recovered”. A case with a diagnosis date of more than three weeks ago, who has not passed away, is considered recovered.

How To Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 Coronavirus

COVID-19 coronavirus spreads person to person, similar to the common cold and the flu. So, to prevent it from spreading:

Wash hands frequently and thoroughly, with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds.
Don’t touch your face.
Keep children and those with compromised immune systems away from someone who is coughing or sneezing (in this instance, at least six feet)
If there is an outbreak near you, practice social distancing (stay at home, instead of going to the movies, sports events, or other activities.)
Get a flu shot.