COVID-19 testing numbers down in Utah, percent positive remains the same

Registered nurse Heather Kessel hands a COVID-19 test to her co-worker at Intermountain Healthcare’s Salt Lake Clinic on Friday, July 10, 2020. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News

Another 421 cases, 6 deaths reported Wednesday

SALT LAKE CITY — Lines of cars used to stretch around various Utah clinics offering outdoor testing for the novel coronavirus, but these days those lines are nowhere to be found.

The number of people getting tested seems to be waning.

“We’ve seen fewer people seeking out testing,” said Tom Hudachko with the Utah Department of Health. “It could mean there’s fewer people with symptoms. There’s less sick people out there.”

The percent of positive tests, however, has remained around 10% for the last couple of weeks and seems to be holding steady, Hudachko said.

Another 421 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported on Wednesday, bringing the state’s total number of known infections to 42,328, according to the health department.

The rolling seven-day average has dropped to 438 positive tests per day, with a 10.1% positivity rate.

In addition, six new deaths were reported, including two Davis County men between the ages of 65 and 84 who were both hospitalized at the time of their deaths; a woman in the same age range from Kane County who was also hospitalized when she died with COVID-19; a Salt Lake County woman between 65 and 84, also hospitalized; a San Juan County man between the ages of 65 and 84 who was also hospitalized; and a Utah County woman older than 85 who was living in a long-term health care facility at the time of her death.

It brings Utah’s COVID-19-related death toll to 327.

More than 2,519 people have been hospitalized in the state with the highly contagious virus, and 184 COVID-19 patients are currently being treated in hospitals across the state.

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

• Salt Lake County, 19,875; 1,295 hospitalized; 185 deaths.
• Utah County, 8,271; 382 hospitalized; 36 deaths.
• Davis County, 3,094; 174 hospitalized; 18 deaths.
• Southwest Utah, 3,084; 175 hospitalized; 25 deaths.
• Weber-Morgan, 2,684; 169 hospitalized; 25 deaths.
• Bear River (Box Elder, Cache, Rich), 2,220; 104 hospitalized; 6 deaths.
• Summit County, 701; 53 hospitalized; 1 death.
• San Juan County, 632; 81 hospitalized; 25 deaths.
• Tooele County, 564; 28 hospitalized; 0 deaths.
• Wasatch County, 538; 20 hospitalized; 4 deaths.
• Central Utah, 398; 23 hospitalized; 2 deaths.
• TriCounty (Uinta Basin), 170; 10 hospitalized; 0 deaths.
• Southeast Utah, 97; 5 hospitalized; 0 deaths.

This story will be updated.

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