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Utah’s COVID-19 case counts continue to improve — but deaths continue to rise

The state reported 14 more fatalities, bring the total closer to 1,900.

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The number of new COVID-19 cases reported Wednesday in Utah remained well below 1,000. The number of those hospitalized with coronavirus continues to tick down, as do test positivity rates.

But Utah also reported 14 more deaths, as the state’s total approaches 1,900. Thirteen of the deaths were people age 65 and older, and one was between the ages of 25 and 44.

Vaccine doses administered in past day/total vaccination doses administered • 18,005 / 641,881.

Number of Utahns who have received two doses • 221,619.

Cases reported in past day • 812.

Deaths reported in past day • 14.

Salt Lake County reported six deaths: Three men between the ages of 64 and 84, and three women 85 or older.

There were four deaths in Utah County: Two men and a woman 65 to 84, and a man 85-plus.

Four counties each reported one death: A woman 65 to 84 in Box Elder County, a man 85-plus in Sevier County, a man 25 to 44 in Tooele County, and a woman 85-plus in Washington County.

Hospitalizations reported in past day • 222. That’s down 17 from Tuesday. Of those currently hospitalized, 91 are in intensive care units — four fewer than on Tuesday.

Tests reported in past day • 7,631 people were tested for the first time. A total of 19,389 people were tested.

Percentage of positive tests • Under the state’s original method, the rate is 10.6%. That’s slightly lower than the seven-day average of 13.1%.

Its new method counts all test results, including repeated tests of the same individual. Wednesday’s rate is now at 4.2%, lower than the seven-day average of 6.1%.

[Read more: Utah is changing how it measures the rate of positive COVID-19 tests. Here’s what that means.]

Totals to date • 368,601 cases; 1,879 deaths; 14,554 hospitalizations; 2,180,594 people tested.