SALT LAKE CITY — It may be a new year, but all Utahns are still being advised to take the same old precautions against spreading the deadly coronavirus, even if they’ve received a vaccine, as health officials prepare for a post-holiday surge in cases.
It’ll take at least a week or two to see the impact from Christmas, New Year’s and other recently celebrated holidays on the caseload, Dr. Todd Vento, an infectious disease specialist with Intermountain Healthcare, told reporters shortly before Utah announced 2,160 new cases of COVID-19 and four additional deaths from the virus Monday.
There’s concern, Vento said, that Utah reaching a new daily record of 4,672 cases on New Year’s Eve could mean “the virus is bouncing around more in the community” especially since the extended holidays gave people more opportunities to mingle with those who might be infected.
That makes it more important than ever for all Utahns to wear masks, wash their hands, keep their distance and avoid gatherings, he said. That advice, which extends to those who have been vaccinated, isn’t likely to change for “months and months,” he said.
“Those are as critical as ever as we turn the corner on 2020,” the doctor said. “Just think, at the end of 2020, we had our highest number of cases on the 31st of December. I think that’s really an epidemiological reminder that we need to buckle down and still stick to the measures that work.”
The state reported 6,619 people tested since Sunday, with rolling seven-day averages for positives tests at 2,716 per day and 30.8% for the percent of tests that are positive.
Vento said Utah’s rate of positive tests is “very high,” ranking No. 9 nationwide.
The Utah Department of Health is offering free rapid antigen testing at two dozen locations throughout the state, including the Maverik Center in West Valley City, the Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City. Oak Canyon Junior High in Lindon, and the Ogden School District building in Ogden.
Anyone can be tested, even if they do not have any symptoms of COVID-19, and are urged to register ahead of time online at https://bit.ly/2X66scM to reduce delays at the testing locations that were selected based on high positivity rates, as well as lower rates of testing, untreated wastewater sampling and other data.
Additional testing sites will be added as resources are available, the health department said.
The goal of the testing clinics is to identify those infected with the virus faster to help slow its spread. Because the rapid tests are less sensitive, those with symptoms who test negative and those without symptoms who test positive will be referred for additional testing, the health department said.
There are 484 people currently hospitalized in Utah with COVID-19, bringing the total number of people hospitalized since the pandemic began in March to 11,240. Utah’s death toll from the virus has reached 1,305, with the four deaths reported Monday.
The latest Utahns to die from COVID-19 are:
- A Washington County woman, older than 85, and a long-term care facility resident.
- A Salt Lake County man, older than 85, not hospitalized at time of death.
- A Salt Lake County man, between 65-84, hospitalized at time of death.
- A Washington County woman, older than 85, hospitalized at time of death.
from Deseret News https://ift.tt/35bmfLL
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