Editor’s note: The Salt Lake Tribune is providing free access to critical stories about the coronavirus. Sign up for our Top Stories newsletter, sent to your inbox every weekday morning. To support journalism like this, please donate or become a subscriber.
With 2,247 new coronavirus cases reported on Monday, Utah’s rates of new diagnoses and hospitalizations continue to shatter records.
For the past week, the state has averaged 2,437 new positive test results a day, continuing a streak of new record highs, the Utah Department of Health reported — and Monday’s new high comes despite weekend delays that consistently produce lower case numbers on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Hospitalizations also leapt, as health officials have predicted based on the dramatic rise in cases in recent weeks. There were 444 Utah patients concurrently admitted as of Monday, UDOH reported. In total, 6,162 patients have been hospitalized in Utah for COVID-19, with about 580 Utahns admitted in the past week.
[Read more: Gov. Gary Herbert says data drove decision for new state of COVID-19 emergency]
Utah’s death toll from the coronavirus rose to 661 on Monday, with two fatalities reported since Sunday: two men, ages 65 to 84, one from Salt Lake County and one from Washington County.
For the past week, 21.2% of all tests have come back positive — a record-high rate that indicates a large number of infected people are not being tested, state officials have said.
There were 9,106 new test results reported on Monday, well below the daily average for the past week.
Follow @erinalberty