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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah health officials reported eight new COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, along with 1,032 new cases.
The rolling, seven-day average for new positive tests is now 1,164 per day, according to a report from the Utah Department of Health, which is lower than it has been at any point this year. Thursday's report also shows the seven-day average for people testing positive for COVID-19 is now 27%. This percentage has been decreasing steadily but is still over twice what it was before the omicron variant arrived in Utah in December.
In his monthly news conference Thursday, Gov. Spencer Cox pointed out that case counts in Utah are dramatically dropping and said the state has done "very well" with vaccinations. He said he feels like it is time to move on and suggested that the Utah Legislature should signal that the pandemic phase is over by not running COVID-19-related bills.
"Utah is in a great space, and we're going to be in an even better place in the next week or two," Cox said.
Of the 1,032 new cases reported on Thursday, school children account for 141 — including 73 cases in children ages 5-10, 25 in ages 11-13, and 43 in ages 14-17.
According to the state health department, 476 people are currently hospitalized in the state with COVID-19, with 110 of those people in an intensive care unit. The number of people hospitalized is also continuing to decrease, down 22 from Wednesday's hospitalization report, to 476 currently being treated at Utah hospitals.
Of the eight deaths reported on Thursday, half were residents at long-term care facilities. Two of the latest deaths occurred more than a month ago. There have been 4,344 deaths in Utah caused by the coronavirus since the pandemic began.
The latest deaths include:
- An Emery County man between the ages 65 and 84, who was hospitalized when he died.
- A Washington County woman, 45-64, hospitalized.
- A Washington County woman, over 85, long-term care facility resident.
- A Weber County woman, 65-84, long-term care facility resident.
- A Salt Lake County man, over 85, not hospitalized.
- A Davis County woman, over 85, long-term care facility resident.
- A Salt Lake County man, 45-64, hospitalized.
- A Sanpete County man, over 85, long-term care facility resident.
Watch Gov. Spencer Cox's February 2022 monthly PBS News Conference in its entirety by clicking on the play button below.
