Health officials warn against Super Bowl parties as daily COVID-19 case counts remain high

Newman Knowlton gets a COVID-19 rapid test at the Fairpark in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — Thinking about heading out to a Super Bowl party during Sunday’s big game? Maybe hosting a crowd of fellow Tampa Bay Buccaneers — or Kansas City Chiefs — fans in front of your big-screen TV? After all, aren’t COVID-19 cases heading down in Utah?

Think again, the state’s leading public health expert advised.

“C’mon, no,” state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn said Friday when asked about whether Utahns could get together for Super Bowl parties. “Only if you can have them virtually, and I encourage people to do that. Or with people who already live in their household.”

The Utah Department of Health reported 1,216 new coronavirus cases and 17 additional deaths in the state Friday.

The number of Utahns tested for the deadly virus went up by 7,696, for a new total of 2,061,926 people tested. The rolling seven-day average for positive tests is 1,222 per day and 16.3% for the percentage of laboratory tests that are positive.

Vaccine doses increased by 20,180, with 382,881 administered in the state to date.

Dunn said Utahns need to stick to the public health advice that’s working, especially with the emergence of new virus variants, including one from Britain that has already been detected in Utah that may not only be more easily transmitted but could also be more deadly.

“I can’t emphasize this enough. I know our numbers look awesome. But our hospitals are still 80% full. We are at risk for another surge. We saw it in the U.K. and other countries. We know those variants are here. We know how to protect ourselves,” she said.

That means continuing to wear masks, practice social distancing and avoid large gatherings, like Super Bowl parties.

“If we can just do that for several more months until we get truly, truly 70% of our population vaccinated, we will be home free. But I just — ugh — I don’t know if I personally could take another surge. So please, Super Bowl parties virtually or with people who live in your household,” Dunn said.

Currently, there are 349 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Utah. The state’s death toll has now reached 1,728, an increase of 17 deaths that includes 12 that occurred before Jan. 15, the state health department said. The latest deaths are:

• Utah County woman, older than 85, not hospitalized.
• Salt Lake County woman, older than 85, long-term care facility resident.
• Davis County woman, older than 85, not hospitalized.
• Utah County woman, between 65 and 84, not hospitalized.
• Salt Lake County woman, between 65 and 84, not hospitalized.
• Salt Lake County woman, between 65 and 84, long-term care facility resident.
• Utah County woman, older than 85, not hospitalized.
• Salt Lake County woman, older than 85, long-term care facility resident.
• Weber County woman, older than 85, not hospitalized.
• Salt Lake County woman, between 45 and 64, not hospitalized.
• Morgan County man, between 45 and 64, hospitalized at time of death.
• Davis County man, older than 85, not hospitalized.
• Box Elder County man, between 65 and 84, hospitalized at time of death.
• Cache County man, older than 85, not hospitalized.
• Washington County man, between 65 and 84, hospitalized at time of death.
• Morgan County man, older than 85, long-term care facility resident.
• Salt Lake County man, between 65 and 84, long-term care facility resident.

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