Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s number of COVID-19 cases has increased by 83 from Monday, with four new reported deaths, according to the Utah Department of Health.
Tuesday's totals give Utah 3,296 confirmed cases, with 277 hospitalizations and 32 total deaths from the disease. Previously, there were 3,213 cases in the state.
Three of the people who died were in Salt Lake County, and the other was in Weber County, according to Utah Department of Health state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn. All four were over the age of 60, had underlying medical conditions and were hospitalized when they died, she added.
Two of the people who died Tuesday were residents of long-term care facilities when they were diagnosed with COVID-19, according to Dunn.
Of the 32 people who have died from the disease so far in Utah, 16 have been residents of long-term care facilities, she added. While tragic, that could be much worse, as other states have seen a single COVID-19 outbreak at a long-term care facility account for more deaths than this, Dunn said.
Dunn discussed the current coronavirus situation in the state at the daily Utah Department of Health press conference on Tuesday afternoon. Watch the replay of the event below.
Staff at long-term care facilities have been preparing since early January to limit the spread of the disease among residents, Dunn said.
"And they are doing a great job, and I really want to recognize the long-term care facility staff out there whose job is more stressful now than ever, and yet so important to protecting this very vulnerable population," she said.
Dunn added that not only are staff at those facilities protecting their residents' health, they are also protecting their residents' well-being, since their family members are not allowed to visit at this time.
Long-term care facilities where there has not yet been a COVID-19 outbreak are also being monitored by the health department, she said.
As of Monday, 888 people are estimated to have recovered from the disease, according to health department data.
The new numbers indicate a 2.6% increase in positive cases since Monday. Of the 72,358 people tested in Utah so far, 4.6% tested positive for COVID-19.
The total number of cases reported by the health department includes all cases of COVID-19 since Utah’s outbreak began, including those who are infected now, those who have recovered from the disease and those who have died.
Health officials continue to encourage anyone with even the most mild symptoms of the COVID-19 to get tested for the disease, Dunn said. Doing so will help state authorities know how the disease has spread and where it may be present, she added.
Anyone experiencing fever, coughing, shortness of breath, a decreased sense of taste or smell, muscle aches and pains or a sore throat is asked to get tested.
Testing for the disease is free for anyone due to federal legislation, Dunn added. For more information, visit coronavirus.utah.gov.
The vast majority of COVID-19 cases in the state have not been among healthcare workers, though there are a handful of healthcare workers who have been diagnosed, Dunn said. There have been no healthcare worker deaths from the disease.
Health officials continue working to reach out to vulnerable populations who are more at risk for COVID-19, including long-term care residents, homeless individuals and minorities.
Last week, a major outbreak at a Salt Lake County homeless facility affected 94 men. That is so far the only major outbreak of the disease at a homeless outreach facility in Utah, according to Dunn.
Health officials are working to make sure anyone who has been exposed to COVID-19, including homeless people, is being monitored, she added. The health department is coordinating with Salt Lake County to make sure anyone who was exposed to the disease at the homeless facility has been separated from those who were not exposed.
Dunn said she understands why the pandemic has been difficult for people who might be getting restless due to isolation from family members and friends. But now more than ever, it's important to continue socially distancing, she said.
The data continue to show positive trends that indicate Utah is starting to flatten the curve of its COVID-19 pandemic, Dunn said. State authorities want to see that continue, so they're asking people to continue adhering to the public health guidelines they've set forth, she added.
Doing that now will help Utah avoid a spike in cases after businesses and workplaces start opening back up to their normal states, Dunn said.
"Even though it might feel safe right now, it feels safe because we have been adhering to social distancing restrictions, and we really just need to stay the course so that we can keep this trend going and see a downward trend," she said.
