Utah maintains near 5% positive testing rate for COVID-19

Holley Bryan, a medical assistant with University of Utah Health, administers a blood draw test at a testing facility in Park City on Wednesday, May 6, 2020. The testing facility is part of the David Eccles School of Business and University of Utah Health’s new Utah Health & Economic Recovery Outreach program. The program will test 10,000 Utahns across four counties. Citizens will receive two tests: PCR (swab test to detect presence of coronavirus) and serology (blood draw to detect antibodies). Antibodies to the coronavirus indicate probable past infection. The data gathered will inform decision-makers in the state as they work to help keep residents safe and get people back to work. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News

2 new deaths reported in Utah County

SALT LAKE CITY — Another 215 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in Utah on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases to 8,921 throughout the state, according to the Utah Department of Health.

At least 251 of those cases occurred in the Navajo Nation, in the Four Corners area of the state, the Utah Division of Indian Affairs reported Thursday.

The state has tested more than 200,000 throughout Utah, with a 5% positivity rate in the past week. Mobile testing has picked up in the Navajo Nation area, resulting in a higher number of positive tests.

There have been 734 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Utah, with 97 currently being treated.

The health department has reported 106 deaths since mid-March — with two additional deaths since Wednesday, both men in Utah County. One was between 60 and 85 years old and the other between 18 and 60. Both were hospitalized at the time of their deaths, the health department reported.

One death, in the Weber-Morgan health district, has been removed from the state list for further investigation on the cause of death, said Dr. Angela Dunn, state epidemiologist.

The latest breakdown of Utah cases, hospitalizations and deaths by health district:

• Salt Lake County, 4,806; 433 hospitalized; 70 deaths.
• Utah County, 1,777; 99 hospitalized; 17 deaths.
• Davis County, 435; 38 hospitalized; 2 deaths.
• Summit County, 409; 37 hospitalized; 0 deaths.
• Southwest Utah, 360; 31 hospitalized; 4 deaths.
• San Juan County, 283; 30 hospitalized; 5 deaths.
• Weber-Morgan, 276; 31 hospitalized; 5 deaths.
• Wasatch County, 259; 11 hospitalized; 1 death.
• Tooele County, 122; 6 hospitalized; 0 deaths.
• Bear River, 117; 14 hospitalized; 2 deaths.
• Central Utah, 34; 3 hospitalized; 0 deaths.
• Southeast Utah, 23; 0 hospitalized; 0 deaths.
• TriCounty (Uinta Basin), 20; 1 hospitalized; 0 deaths.

This story will be updated.

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