Utah reports 378 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, 7 additional deaths

Shereyah Barbera, a registered nurses from New York’s Northwell Health, left, approaches Annice Sterling and Magdalena Litwinczuk, both registered nurses with Northwell Health, after speaking at a press conference at the Intermountain Transformation Center in Murray on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. The nurses have come to Utah to share their knowledge and experience in treating COVID-19 patients. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah health officials reported 378 new COVID-19 cases and seven additional deaths on Tuesday.

Though testing numbers remain under capacity, a higher number of tests than the past several days was also reported — at 4,774, with a 7.9% positive rate, according to the Utah Department of Health. They bring the state’s total cases since the pandemic began to 41,907 of 544,956 people tested, a 7.7% positive rate.

The state is maintaining its daily average of new cases below 500, which Gov. Gary Herbert early last month challenged residents to do by Aug. 1 or face potential restrictions such as a statewide mask mandate. The rolling seven-day average new cases is 428 per day, and the rate of positive tests 9.8%.

Also on Tuesday, 10 nurses from New York City are in Utah to share their knowledge and experience in treating COVID-19 patients at Intermountain Healthcare.

Hospitalizations fell Tuesday to 181 from 207 on Monday, state health officials said. Hospitalizations since the outbreak began total 2,482.

The deaths reported Tuesday bring the state’s toll to 321. They were:

• A Salt Lake County woman, older than 85, who was a long-term care resident.
• A Salt Lake County woman, between 65 and 84, who was a long-term care resident.
• A Salt Lake County woman, 65-84, who was a long-term care resident.
• A Salt Lake County man, 65-84, who was hospitalized when he died.
• A Salt Lake County man, 65-84, who was a long-term care resident.
• A Salt Lake County man, older than 85, not hospitalized when he died.
• A Davis County woman, 65-84, who was hospitalized when she died.

Nearly 30,500 of the state’s cases are considered recovered after surviving the three-week point since their diagnoses.

This story will be updated throughout the day.

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