Utah confirms nearly 200 more COVID-19 cases, no new deaths Friday

Ruby Van Wagenen, 11, is held by her mother as she is tested for COVID-19 by medical assistant Nicole Paepke at Utah Valley Hospital in Provo on Friday, May 8, 2020. In an effort to help address COVID-19 hot spots that have been identified in Utah County, the Intermountain Healthcare Coronavirus Mobile Testing Unit provided testing to area residents. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — The Beehive State saw an increase of 195 COVID-19 cases on Friday but no new deaths reported.

Positive cases rose to 5,919 out of 138,688 tested. The rate of positives hovers just under 4.3%, according to the Utah Department of Health. About 4.3% of the population, meanwhile, has now been tested for the disease.

Most of the 61 people who have died in Utah with the coronavirus have been older adults with underlying health conditions. Many were residents in long-term care facilities.

Just under half of those who tested positive for the virus are now considered recovered after passing the three-week point since their diagnoses.

Meanwhile on Friday, Intermountain Healthcare deployed its mobile testing unit to Utah Valley Hospital in Provo to help address Utah County hot spots. As of Friday, Provo had the highest number of confirmed cases, with at least 297 of the county’s 1,284, according to data from the Utah County Health Department. Orem, the second largest city in the county, follows closely behind.

And while many counties have seen declines in cases, Utah County is seeing a steady uptick, with a more than 20% rise in cases within the last week.

“Over the weekend, end of last week, first of this week, we saw a spike in test numbers here in Utah County, particularly in the ZIP codes that we’re testing today. So we’re coming down to do mass testing, so to speak, to find out what’s happening in this community to help them get the care they need,” Intermountain Healthcare’s Teri Adams said as workers wearing face masks bustled around the site.

Currently, there is just one permanent testing site in Provo managed by TestUtah.

The mobile testing unit was focusing on those from ZIP codes in Provo and Orem including 84606, 84601 and 84057, Adams said. Those areas had seen both an increase in people wanting to get tested, as well as in confirmed cases.

“We’re hoping to have 1,000 people come out and get tested, and we can help them,” she said, adding that anyone in those ZIP codes — even those without symptoms — are able to get tested.

This story will be updated.

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