Coronavirus: Utah responds to the pandemic

Ruby Van Wagenen, 11, is held by her mother as she is tested for COVID-19 by medical assistant Nicole Paepke at Utah Valley Hospital in Provo on Friday, May 8, 2020. In an effort to help address COVID-19 hot spots that have been identified in Utah County, the Intermountain Healthcare Coronavirus Mobile Testing Unit provided testing to area residents. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Utah has seen 137,385 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 672 total deaths as of Tuesday, according to the Utah Department of Health. That’s an increase of 2,517 cases from Monday. Eleven new deaths were reported.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert ordered a statewide mask mandate beginning Monday as well as halts on extracurricular activities and casual social gatherings among those of different households as skyrocketing COVID-19 cases are straining hospitals.

Here are the latest numbers.

• Total number of COVID-19 cases: 137,385
• Total reported people tested: 1,180,749
• Total COVID-19 hospitalizations: 6,284
• Current COVID-19 hospitalizations: 435
• Total COVID-19 deaths: 672
• Single-day high for reported cases: 2,987 (Nov. 6)
• Single-day high for reported deaths: 17 (Nov. 6)

Recently

• The mask mandate begins Monday and will last until Nov. 23. The mandate applies to everyone when in public and when within 6 feet of someone with whom they don’t share a household. Businesses must require employees to wear masks, “promote” mask-wearing for patrons and post signage. Those that don’t will face fines, officials said.
• College students who live on campuses or who attend at least one in-person class will be required to get tested for the disease every week under the new public health orders he announced late Sunday evening in a pre-recorded message aired across local TV stations.
• University of Utah officials announced Saturday that all students will need to get tested for COVID-19 before fall and winter breaks. “From Nov. 11-23, students are asked to report to one of the available locations and be tested for the coronavirus,” university officials said.
• “The spread is happening in our homes and it is killing people and overwhelming our hospitals,” Gov.-elect Spencer Cox said Thursday, imploring that people exercise proper precautions in their homes such as social distancing, mask-wearing and washing of hands if an uncle, neighbor, grandchild or friend pops by.

Worldwide

Globally, the novel coronavirus pandemic has now infected 50,676,072 and killed 1,261,075 people as of Tuesday, according to the World Health Organization.

Read more of our coronavirus coverage.

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