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The number of new cases of COVID-19 has surged to a level not seen since the beginning of 2021. There were 2,165 new cases reported on Thursday, according to the Utah Department of Health — the most in a single day since Jan. 21.
And the rolling seven-day average of new cases was 1,431.
A quarter of the new cases — 544 — were among kids in grades K-12. There were 231 cases in children ages 5-10; 152 cases in children 11-13; and 161 cases in children 14-18.
[Read more: Utahns’ choices are ‘hurting children,’ doctor warns, as more kids get sick with COVID-19]
Of the 10 Utahns whose deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in the past day, four were under the age of 65, and two were under the age of 45.
In the past four weeks, unvaccinated Utahns were 4.7 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than vaccinated people, according to a UDOH analysis. The unvaccinated were also 6.2 times more likely to be hospitalized, and 5.4 times more likely to test positive for the coronavirus.
An additional 11,208 Utahns were fully vaccinated in the past two days, bringing the total to 1,610,699 — 49.2% of the state’s total population. (UDOH did not report vaccination numbers on Wednesday because they were “undergoing a quality analysis.”)
Vaccine doses administered in past two days/total doses administered • 19,255 / 3,315,722.
Utahns fully vaccinated • 1,610,699.
Cases reported in past day • 2,165.
Deaths reported in past day • 10.
Washington County reported three deaths — two men and a woman between the ages of 65-84.
There were two deaths in Salt Lake County — a woman 45-64 and a woman 65-84. There were also two deaths in Weber County — a woman 25-44 and a man 65-84.
The other deaths were a woman 65-84 in Davis County, a woman 45-64 in Duchesne County, and a man 25-44 in Utah County,
Tests reported in past day • 17,411 people were tested for the first time. A total of 27,882 people were tested.
Hospitalizations reported in the past day • 516. That’s 33 more than on Wednesday. Of those currently hospitalized, 191 are in intensive care, 16 more than on Wednesday.
Percentage of positive tests • Under the state’s original method, the rate is 12.4%. That’s about the same as the seven-day average of 12.3%.
The state’s new method counts all test results, including repeated tests of the same individual. Thursday’s rate was 7.8%, lower than the seven-day average of 9.2%.
[Read more: Utah is changing how it measures the rate of positive COVID-19 tests. Here’s what that means.]
Totals to date • 477,790 cases; 2,703 deaths; 20,783 hospitalizations; 3,245,461 people tested.
According to the UDOH, Utah has seen 12,450 “breakthrough” cases of COVID-19 — people who contracted the virus two weeks or more after being fully vaccinated. That’s 0.77% of people who are fully vaccinated.
Of that number, 670 people required hospitalization — .042% of those fully vaccinated. And there have been 66 deaths — 0.004% of those fully vaccinated.
This story is developing and will be updated.
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