Fewer than 10,000 in Utah now have active COVID-19 infections

Nursing student Lia Smith helps with testing for COVID-19 conducted by the Salt Lake County Health Department in the parking lot of the Maverik Center in West Valley City on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020. The free testing was set up for residents of Kearns, Magna, Taylorsville, West Valley City or the west side of Salt Lake City. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Health officials report 403 new COVID-19 cases and seven additional deaths Tuesday

SALT LAKE CITY — About 41,500 of Utah’s COVID-19 cases are considered recovered, meaning fewer than 10,000 now have confirmed active infections, according to the Utah Department of Health.

State health officials reported 403 new COVID-19 cases and seven additional deaths on Tuesday.

The new cases were confirmed out of 4,245 tests. They bring the state’s total cases since the pandemic began to 49,767 of 630,599 people tested, for an overall positive rate of 7.8%.

Tuesday’s test numbers were artificially low and the positive rate was artificially high at 9.5% due to negative test results from one lab not being reported, according to state health department officials.

The unnamed lab’s delay in reporting negative results to the state’s electronic reporting system has affected the state’s numbers for the past several days, according to the health department, which is working with the lab to resolve the delay and adjust results.

The rolling seven-day average for new cases is 370 per day, and the average positive rate of tests is 9.3%. Currently, 124 people are hospitalized with the disease in Utah, six fewer than on Monday. Just under 3,000 have required hospitalization since the pandemic hit the state.

The seven additional deaths reported Tuesday bring the state’s toll to 397. They were:

• A Sanpete County man, older than 85, who was not hospitalized when he died.
• A Utah County woman, older than 85, who was a long-term care resident.
• A Salt Lake County woman, between ages 45-64, who was hospitalized when she died.
• A Weber County man, 45-64, who was hospitalized when he died.
• A Utah County woman, 65-84, who was a long-term care resident.
• A Weber County woman, 65-84, who was hospitalized when she died.
• A Washington County man, 65-84, who was hospitalized when he died.

This story will be updated throughout the day.

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