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Utah’s COVID-19 positivity rate falls, but the number of deaths continues to climb

The health department reported 1,411 new cases and 17 deaths on Tuesday.

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Escalante Elementary first grader Sophia gets her face shield adjusted by her mother Theresa before she heads back into the classroom in Salt Lake City, January, 25, 2021. Salt Lake City School District reopened all of the district's elementary schools to in-person learning on Monday. It is the first time students in kindergarten through sixth grade are back in the classroom for a full day of school since they first closed for the pandemic in March 2020.

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The positivity rate of COVID-19 tests fell to just under 16% on Tuesday, although the Utah Department of Health added 17 more deaths to the state’s tally.

Four of those deaths occurred in December and were only recently confirmed as coronavirus-related. And UDOH removed one death from its list of Utah victims because the man turned out to be a Nevada resident.

Vaccinations reported in past day/total vaccinations • 8,062 / 237,637.

Cases reported in past day • 1,411.

Deaths reported in past day • 17.

Three counties each reported four deaths. In Davis County, the victims were three women age 65-84 and a man over 85. In Salt Lake County, the victims were a man and a woman 45-64 and a man and a woman 65-84. In Utah County, two men 45-64, a man 65-84 and a man 85-plus died.

In Washington County, a man 45-64 and a man 65-84 died.

And there was one death each in Iron County (a man 65-84), Morgan County (a man 85-plus) and Sanpete County (a woman 65-84).

Hospitalizations reported in past day • 452. That’s down seven from Monday. Of those currently hospitalized, 158 are in intensive care units — 19 fewer than on Monday.

Tests reported in past day • 9,291.

Percentage of positive tests • 15.91%. That’s lower than the seven-day average of 19.11%.

Totals to date • 338,675 cases; 1,613 deaths; 13,137 hospitalizations; 1,978,950 tests.