Utah marks pandemic anniversary with grim milestone: over 2,000 deaths

A woman receives a COVID-19 vaccination at the Mountain America Exposition Center in Sandy on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. On Thursday, March 11, 2021, Utah surpassed another grim milestone in the pandemic — over 2,000 Utahns dead from COVID-19 — even though vaccinations are continuing to pick up steam. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah has surpassed another grim milestone of the pandemic, even though COVID-19 vaccinations are continuing to pick up steam.

That milestone is 2,000 — over 2,000 Utahns dead from COVID-19.

In total, 2,015 Utahns have died from the disease, the Utah Department of Health reported Thursday, an increase of 23 deaths from Wednesday. Fifteen of those deaths occurred before Feb. 11, but the causes weren’t confirmed until now.

But state officials were optimistic Thursday as they continue to report a “plateau” in COVID-19 cases and a steady increase in the number of vaccines being administered in Utahns’ arms.

As of Thursday, another 34,290 vaccines were administered, bringing the state’s total of first and second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and single doses of the newest vaccine available from Johnson & Johnson, to 936,681.

Utah saw an increase of 646 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases to date in the state to 376,973, health department officials reported.

COVID-19 testing continues throughout the state, with the rolling seven-day average for positive tests at 524 per day. There were 8,139 Utahns tested and 18,923 tests conducted in Utah since Wednesday. Over 2.27 million Utahns have undergone more than 3.97 million total tests.

The rolling seven-day average for percent positivity of those tests is 4.03% when all tests are included in the calculation, the state’s preferred method, and 8.44% when multiple tests by an individual over the past 90 days are excluded.

Currently, 167 people are hospitalized in Utah with COVID-19. Total hospitalizations from the beginning of the outbreak are 15,014.

The latest deaths reported are:

• A Box Elder County woman, older than 85, who was not hospitalized at the time of death.
• A Cache County woman, older than 85, who was a long-term care facility resident.
• A Davis County man, between the ages of 45 and 64, who was hospitalized at the time of death.
• A Davis County woman, older than 85, a long-term care facility resident.
• A Davis County woman, older than 85, not hospitalized.
• A Davis County man, 65-84, hospitalized.
• An Iron County woman, 65-84, hospitalized.
• A Kane County man, older than 85, not hospitalized.
• Two Salt Lake County men, older than 85, neither hospitalized at time of death.
• Two Salt Lake County women, older than 85, neither hospitalized.
• A Salt Lake County woman, older than 85, long-term care facility resident.
• A Salt Lake County man, older than 85, long-term care facility resident.
• A Salt Lake County woman, 65-84, not hospitalized.
• A Salt Lake County woman, 65-84, long-term care facility resident.
• A Uintah County man, older than 85, not hospitalized.
• A Utah County man, older than 85, not hospitalized.
• A Utah County man, 65-84, not hospitalized.
• A Washington County man, 45-64, not hospitalized.
• A Washington County man, 65-84, not hospitalized.
• A Washington County woman, 65-84, hospitalized.
• A Weber County woman, older than 85, long-term care facility resident.

This story will be updated.

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