COVID-19 deaths top 400 in Utah; cases reach 50,000

Dr. Angela Dunn, state epidemiologist with the Utah Department of Health, listens to Gov. Gary Herbert during a COVID-19 briefing at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 has topped 50,000 in Utah.

An additional 407 new cases reported by the Utah Department of Health on Wednesday brings the total number of known cases to 50,174. Thus far, 401 Utahns have died in the pandemic, including four new deaths reported Wednesday.

Previous backlogs in testing results were fixed in Wednesday’s reports, as well, showing that more than 637,329 people have been tested for COVID-19 in Utah since the pandemic hit the state in mid-March. An additional 6,730 tests were reported on Wednesday.

“We have the capacity in the state to test anybody who needs it,” said Dr. Angela Dunn, state epidemiologist with the health department, during a Wednesday press conference at the Capitol.

The rolling seven-day average number of positive tests is 376 per day, with a positivity rate of 8.6%.

New deaths due to COVID-19 in Utah include a Davis County man, between the age of 25 and 44; a Salt Lake County man between ages 60 and 84, who was a resident at a long-term health care facility; a Utah County man between age 45 and 64, who was a resident of a long-term care facility; and a Wasatch County man older than 85, who was also a resident of a long-term care facility.

Salt Lake County, where the majority of the state’s population lives and works, continues to have the highest number of cases in the state, but officials have said the wearing of masks has helped slow the spread of disease.

The county reported Tuesday there has been at least a 96% compliance rate where masks in public are concerned in Salt Lake County based on observations conducted earlier in the month. About 8% of people wearing masks in public were observed to be wearing them incorrectly, which can be problematic, said David Schuld, who is heading up the county’s COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.

Face coverings are an effective tool, when worn effectively, he said, noting that the county’s case rate peaked within two weeks of officials mandating masks and hospitalizations also continue to decrease.

“We all need to be proud of what progress we have made,” Dunn said, with key indicators of controlling the disease stabilizing in Utah.

Fewer daily cases are reported, including a lower percent positivity rating, and hospitalizations due to COVID-19 are also down in Utah — 100 fewer people are occupying hospital beds than was the case at the beginning of August, Dunn said.

“We are certainly heading in the right direction,” she said. “We are doing a better job of controlling the spread of COVID-19.”

Helping those who are hurt

A new fundraising effort to help Salt Lake City residents impacted by the virus was announced by Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall on Wednesday. She hopes the Raise Up Salt Lake City campaign will net $1 million.

“There are people in our city struggling to get by during this pandemic, and who were not eligible for the federal stimulus,” Mendenhall said. “Salt Lake City wants to help them.”

An initial $50,000 was donated by the Muslim World League with the assistance of the World Trade Center Utah, as Salt Lake City was one of eight cities and two states selected by the nonprofit Accelerator for America to receive technical assistance and funding to set up and administer financial assistance programs for residents whose livelihoods have been hit by COVID-19.

The fundraiser will transition to a donation and distribution model, offering $500 to selected people and families in need.

“When we act collaboratively as a community, we can create true impact,” said Alex Eaton, CEO at the Community Foundation of Utah, which will manage donation and distribution through community partners.

For more information, or to donate, visit raiseupslc.com or text “GiveSLC” to 21000.

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

• Salt Lake County, 23,186; 1,509 hospitalized; 227 deaths.
• Utah County, 10,435; 489 hospitalized; 46 deaths.
• Davis County, 3,708; 209 hospitalized; 23 deaths.
• Southwest Utah, 3,504; 204 hospitalized; 27 deaths.
• Weber-Morgan, 3,223; 207 hospitalized; 29 deaths.
• Bear River (Box Elder, Cache, Rich), 2,510; 128 hospitalized; 9 deaths.
• Summit County, 828; 53 hospitalized; 1 death.
• San Juan County, 663; 88 hospitalized; 28 deaths.
• Tooele County, 663; 33 hospitalized; 0 deaths.
• Wasatch County, 624; 25 hospitalized; 6 deaths.
• Central Utah, 494; 28 hospitalized; 3 deaths.
• TriCounty (Uinta Basin), 201; 17 hospitalized; 1 death.
• Southeast Utah, 135; 6 hospitalized; 1 death.

This story will be updated.

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