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One in six of all COVID-19 deaths recorded in Utah since the pandemic began occurred in the past two months, state health data shows.
The Utah Department of Health reported on Wednesday that 17 more Utahns died from COVID-19 in the past day, bringing Utah’s November death toll to 308 — higher than the 294 deaths reported in October. (Eight of the deaths reported Wednesday occurred before Nov. 1 and were only recently confirmed to have been caused by the coronavirus.)
In the past two months alone, there have been 602 COVID-19 deaths recorded in Utah — 17% of the total 3,545 deaths recorded since the first Utahn succumbed to COVID-19 on March 22, 2020.
UDOH on Wednesday also reported 2,297 new coronavirus cases in the past day, and the rolling seven-day average of new positive cases stands at 1,204.
The number of children getting vaccinated continues to climb — 68,019 children ages 5-11 have gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine since they became eligible; that’s about 18.6% of kids that age in Utah, according to the health department.
According to an infectious disease physician at Intermountain Healthcare, about 80% of Utahns who are dying from COVID-19 are unvaccinated. Of those dying from breakthrough infections, most have multiple co-morbidities or are immunocompromised.
Intensive care units in the state remain near capacity. UDOH reported Wednesday that 94.2% of all ICU beds in Utah and 98.6% of ICU beds in larger medical centers in the state are occupied. (Hospitals consider any figure over 85% to be functionally full). Of all ICU patients, 41.3% are being treated for COVID-19.
Vaccine doses administered in the past day/total doses administered • 18,668/4,155,655.
Number of Utahns fully vaccinated • 1,811,559 — 55.7% of Utah’s total population. That is an increase of 5,244 in the past day.
Cases reported in the past day • 2,297.
Cases among school-age children • Kids in grades K-12 accounted for 444 of the new cases announced Tuesday — 19.3% of the total. There were 226 cases reported in children aged 5-10; 102 cases in children 11-13; and 116 cases in children 14-18.
Tests reported in past day • 16,119 people were tested for the first time. A total of 34,307 people were tested.
Deaths reported in past day • 17. (Eight of the deaths occurred before Nov. 1, but were later was confirmed to be the result of COVID-19 after further testing.)
Four Salt Lake County residents are among the deaths reported Wednesday: a man and a woman, each 45-64, and two men, each 65-84.
Four people from Iron County — a man 25-44, two women 45-64, and a woman 65-84 — were reported among the deaths. So were three men from Millard County: One 45-64, and two 65-84.
Two Weber County residents — a woman 25-44, and a man 85 or older — also died.
The deaths also included: A Davis County man 65-84, a Tooele County man 45-64, a Utah County man 45-64, and a Washington County man 25-44.
Hospitalizations reported in the past day • 514. That is three more than reported on Tuesday. Of those currently hospitalized, 201 are in intensive care, two fewer than reported on Tuesday.
Percentage of positive tests • Under the state’s original method, the rate is 14.3% in the past day. That is equal to the seven-day average of 14.3%.
The state’s new method counts all test results, including repeated tests of the same individual. Wednesday’s rate was 6.7%, lower than the seven-day average of 9.5%.
[Read more: Utah is changing how it measures the rate of positive COVID-19 tests. Here’s what that means.]
Risk ratios • In the past four weeks, unvaccinated Utahns were 12.7 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than vaccinated people, according to a Utah Department of Health analysis. The unvaccinated also were 9.7 times more likely to be hospitalized, and 3.7 times more likely to test positive for the coronavirus.
Totals to date • 598,098 cases; 3,545 deaths; 25,987 hospitalizations; 3,983,993 people tested.
