SALT LAKE CITY-Wednesday, Utah state epidemiologist Dr. Angela C. Dunn and Utah National Guard adjutant general, Gen. Jefferson S. Burton addressed media at the State Capitol Building during the latest Utah Coronavirus Task Force briefing.
Burton confirmed the Utah National Guard will support testing efforts at hot-spot locations. These include long-term healthcare facilities.
When asked if Utah should shift to low risk (yellow) or revert back to high risk (red), Burton said that presently “orange” (moderate risk) is where the Beehive State belongs per Utah Gov. Gary Herbert’s ‘Utah Leads Together’ directive, initially released March 27.
When asked, Burton also said that churches in Utah may resume operations anytime they wish. However, he stated, people must stay six feet away from each other when worshiping.
This means, he said, that those who gather for Church may have to conduct their proceedings several times during the day.
Dunn then spoke, revealing the latest statistics for COVID-19 in the Beehive State.
As of Wednesday, there are 5,595 positive tests for COVID-19. This is an increase of 146 tests from Tuesday and a +14 in net increase from the previous day.
However, because there were 4,287 total tests conducted (bringing the net total in Utah to 131,002 total tests) in the past 24 hours, this caused the positive test percentage to drop to 4.27 percent.
Only 3.4 percent of Utahns tested for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours tested positive. This is a decrease of 3 percent (6.4 percent) from Tuesday’s totals.
There have now been 464 hospitalizations from COVID-19 in the Beehive State, an increase of 8 from the previous day.
Furthermore, there have now been 58 deaths from COVID-19 in Utah, an increase of 2 from Tuesday’s totals.
In Wasatch County, there are now 170 positive cases for COVID-19, an increase of 4 from the previous day. Wasatch County remains constant with only 7 hospitalizations and 1 death from the disease. The fatality occurred April 10.
Dunn explained that the two new deaths are both females from Salt Lake City. One was over the age of 85 and the other in the 18-60 demographic. Both patients were residents of a long-term health care facility, a place mired with tragedy during this pandemic.
Dunn said the Utah Department of Health is working with the Utah County Health Department and two specific Utah County businesses to decipher how 69 cases of COVID-19 were able to break out the past few days.
Dunn again admonished Utahns to “stay home if you’re sick.”
Dunn lauded the consistently low positive rates (4.2-4.4 percent the past two weeks) and praised Utah, saying “we don’t have widespread community spread of the virus.”
Dunn concluded saying, “we are anticipating a drop in deaths and are working toward that over the coming weeks and months.”
Select members of the Utah Coronavirus Task Force will address the media Friday at the State Capitol Building.
