Utah death toll at 995 as COVID-19 surge continues

Registered nurse Debbie York collects a COVID-19 sample from Lauren Pasternak at a testing station at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Monday, Dec. 7, 2020. | Yukai Peng, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Health on Wednesday announced an increase of 2,574 cases of COVID-19, which helped to slightly decrease recently high-trending rates of test positivity in the state.

The total number of people with known infections from the novel coronavirus in Utah is now 222,545 and the number of deaths is hovering close to 1,000 due to the disease.

Another 23 deaths were reported on Wednesday, according to the health department, with 995 lives lost since the pandemic hit Utah in mid-March.

The deaths reported Wednesday include:

• Utah County woman, older than 85 and a long-term care facility resident.
• Box Elder County woman, older than 85.
• Salt Lake County woman, 65-84, and a long-term care facility resident when she died.
• Davis County man, older than 85, long-term care facility resident.
• Weber County man, 65-84, long-term care facility resident.
• Cache County woman, older than 85, long-term care facility resident.
• Salt Lake County man, 65-84, who was hospitalized when he died.
• Box Elder County woman, 45-64, who was hospitalized.
• Salt Lake County man, 65-84, who was hospitalized.
• Salt Lake County woman, 65-84, who was hospitalized.
• Salt Lake County man, 65-84, who was hospitalized.
• Utah County man, 15-24.
• Juab County man, 65-84, hospitalized.
• Salt Lake County man, 45-64, hospitalized.
• Salt Lake County man, 25-44, long-term care facility resident.
• Iron County man, 65-84, hospitalized.
• Washington County woman, 65-84, hospitalized.
• Utah County woman, 65-84, hospitalized.
• Piute County man, older than 85, hospitalized.
• Washington County woman, 65-84, hospitalized.
• Washington County woman, 65-84, hospitalized.
• Davis County man, 45-64, hospitalized.
• Iron County man, 65-84, unknown if hospitalized.

The health department also reports there are 581 people currently hospitalized throughout Utah, with intensive care units experiencing nearly 89% capacity, which is more than is optimal. More than 93% of all referral center ICU beds are occupied at this time, with 223 patients in the ICU for confirmed COVID-19.

Health officials in the state have said that hospitalization numbers are lagging indicators of how rampant disease is within the community and often follow high daily case counts, as transmission follows.

This story will be updated.

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