SALT LAKE CITY-Monday, Utah state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn spoke to the media about the latest information on COVID-19 at the State Capitol Building.
Dunn confirmed 3,213 total positive COVID-19 tests have occurred in the Beehive State. This is an increase of 144 positive tests from Sunday. She confirmed 68,311 tests for COVID-19 have occurred in Utah. This is an increase of 4,756 tests from Sunday-Monday. There have been 268 hospitalizations in Utah from COVID-19, an increase of 9 from Sunday. There are now 28 deaths as well from COVID-19 in the Beehive State.
This new death, Dunn confirmed, was a male over the age of 60 in the Bear River Health District. He had been suffering from underlying health conditions.
The good news for Utah is for the fifth consecutive day, the positive test rate has dropped. It is presently at 4.7 percent of cases in the Beehive State.
Wasatch County presently has 118 cases of COVID-19, including six hospitalizations and one death, which was suffered April 10.
Dunn said that the Utah Department of Health is looking into why certain communities are affected more severely than others.
UDOH is presently working on making tests more accessible, she said.
Dunn said the Latino/Hispanic community in Utah is the hardest-hit by COVID-19 in the state, saying they have a 28 percent positive test rate.
Dunn did acknowledge that with the percentages slightly dropping daily, that flattening of the curve is occurring. She says this pattern must be followed for another week.
Dunn said that the department is working hard to ensure there is sufficient bandwidth to continue contact tracing through the duration of COVID-19.
Dunn continued, saying the department needs to ensure it maintains the ability to provide sufficient health care to COVID-19 patients who need it, while maintaining our ability to test those suffering from mild symptoms.
When asked about what is required for social distancing requirements to begin being lifted, she said that there must be a “consistent decline” in COVID-19 cases while ensuring hospitals are not overwhelmed with a possible surge in cases.
Dunn said that the department has specifically conducted target testing over the course of last week. This is a likely cause for some of the increases in testing.
Dunn reported that the key to squelching the pandemic is ensuring that anyone in need of a test for COVID-19 can get one.
She did say that Utah is in a “great spot” in regard to the disease and the department is continually seeking to establish more mobile testing sites.
In conclusion, Dunn said the Utah Department of Health is working on opening more drive-thru testing options, thereby making testing more accessible for all Utahns. The department, she said, is working with the University of Utah to commence antibody testing.
There will be another Utah coronavirus task force briefing Tuesday.
