HEALTH

Latest numbers show continued COVID-19 case increase in Utah

Sep 20, 2021, 1:49 PM | Updated: 5:10 pm

COVID-19 testing draws long lines in Utah...

Cars line up at a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site near West Jordan City Hall on Sept. 10, 2021. Photo: Becky Bruce, KSL NewsRadio

BY BECKY BRUCE

News Director

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Health reported 3,393 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, for a total of 494,378 since the pandemic began.

Those numbers represented positive test results for Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Utah. According to UDOH, 1,373 of the cases come from Friday, 1,130 from Saturday and 900 from Sunday. Updated data resulted in the removal of 10 cases from before Sept. 17.

In addition, the UDOH reported 577 Utahns required hospitalization for COVID-19 on Monday. Another 17 Utahns died as the result of coronavirus. Three of those deaths occurred before Sept. 1, 2021. Health officials said the victims ranged from ages 25 to older than 85, calling eight different Utah counties home.

COVID-19 among Utah school-age children

Utah health officials said of the 3,393 new cases, 652 occurred among school-age children. Broken down, there were 319 new cases among children ages 5 – 10, 145 new cases among children ages 11 – 13 and 188 new cases among teens ages 14 – 17.

Currently, four Utah schools have logged enough COVID-19 cases to trigger Test to Stay protocols. For schools with more than 1,500 students, that means at least 2% of the student body tests positive in the previous 14 days. With fewer than 1,500 students, the protocols take place once 30 or more students test positive in the previous 14 days. The four schools under Test to Stay protocols are Syracuse and Antelope elementary schools in the Davis School District, the Draper campus of American Preparatory Academy and Mountain Crest High School in the Cache County School District.

Parents can find a more detailed breakdown of school-associated cases of COVID-19 in Utah on the state’s coronavirus dashboard at https://coronavirus.utah.gov/.

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Vaccines and COVID-19 risk assessment

In the latest UDOH numbers, 16,990 more Utahns received the COVID-19 vaccine. To date, health officials in the state have administered 3,389,704 vaccine doses.

According to the health department, for the last 28 days, the risk of coming down with COVID-19 is 6.6 times greater for unvaccinated Utahns. For hospitalization, the risk to the unvaccinated is 7 times greater than that of vaccinated Utahns. And health officials report unvaccinated Utahns face a 5.6 times greater risk of death than vaccinated Utahns.

Rolling averages and trends for COVID-19 in Utah

According to UDOH, the rolling 7-day average for positive COVID-19 tests in Utah is 1,456 per day.

Health officials report an increase of 24,866 Utahns tested for COVID-19 since Friday, and an increase of 43,043 tests performed.

That means the rolling 7-day average of people testing positive in Utah is 13.8%, and the rolling 7-day average of total positive test results is 10.2%.

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.
Wear a mask to protect yourself and others per CDC recommendations.
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).
Obtain a flu shot.
Seek out the COVID-19 vaccine.