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It’s Wednesday, June 10. We’ll provide the latest coronavirus updates involving Utah throughout the day.
[Read more coronavirus coverage here.]
1:10 p.m.: Utah’s new daily confirmed cases top 300
Another 305 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the last 24 hours in Utah, the Utah Department of Health reported Wednesday — and one more Utahn has died as a result of the coronavirus.
The latest fatality is that of a Davis County woman, between the ages of 60 and 85, who was hospitalized at the time of her death. Her death brings the state’s toll of fatalities from COVID-19 to 128.
The rise in confirmed cases — the 14th straight day the state has reported more than 200 cases in a day — brings the total number of cases in Utah since the pandemic began to 12,864.
Another 23 people were hospitalized due to COVID-19, compared to the previous day’s report. That brings the total number of Utahns hospitalized to 954, with 130 positive COVID-19 cases in hospitals now.
The state added 2,900 tests for coronavirus to the tally. The number of people tested is nearing the quarter-million mark, at 249,760 since the pandemic began.
The state considers 7,587 people “recovered” from COVID-19 — meaning it’s been at least three weeks since their diagnosis and they’re still alive.
— Sean P. Means
8:50 a.m.: Utah’s federal court temporarily closed
Utah's federal courthouse will be closed for the rest of the week after an employee who cleans the building tested positive for the coronavirus.
U.S. District Court clerk Mark Jones said Wednesday morning that a housekeeping contractor tested positive last Friday. Five other employees are quarantined, and the building is closed for a deep cleaning and sanitation.
Jones said there were very few employees who had been in the building anyway, since most hearings have been held by telephone and filings have been accepted electronically since the pandemic hit Utah in early March.
The person who was infected has been wearing masks and gloves to work, Jones said, so they believe the risk that the virus will spread at the courthouse is low.
Jones said the courthouse is expected to reopen Monday.
— Jessica Miller
8 a.m.:
The Salt Lake Education Foundation donated 50 laptops Tuesday to select families that have been affected by the pandemic.
The foundation partnered with XMission, a Utah-based internet service provider, to provide the computers. The laptops were given out at West, East and Highland high schools.
"XMission is proud to help close the digital divide, so every student can have access to education on the internet,” Pete Ashdown, XMission president, said in a statement. “We challenge our fellow tech companies to do the same.”
Part of the foundation’s work is to close the technological cap between underserved populations and others. The donation is one of many the foundation has facilitated during the pandemic.
“We are grateful to XMission for supporting our students’ educational needs,” James Yapias, director of the foundation, said. “They are a leader in closing the digital divide and helping work towards digital inclusion.”
— Alex Vejar
