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Utah reported 120 new COVID-19 cases Friday — the third-lowest total so far this month. It’s the seventh day in a row and ninth day in the past 12 that that figure has been below 200.
The average number of cases per day in the past week is 139; the average number of cases per day so far this month is 202.
The Utah Department of Health also reported six more deaths Friday, three of which occurred before Feb. 18. UDOH also subtracted one death initially reported on Thursday after “further study” by a medical examiner, bringing the state’s overall COVID-19 death toll to 4,561 since the pandemic began.
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 remained at 156 on Friday, the same as on Thursday. There were 26 COVID-19 patients in intensive care units, three fewer than Thursday.
According to UDOH, 68.1% of Utah’s ICU beds are filled, which falls below the 85% threshold that healthcare workers have said is needed to have enough rooms, equipment and staff available to treat new patients. COVID-19 patients make up 7.3% of the state’s ICU patients.
A UDOH analysis continues to show that booster shots significantly decrease Utahns’ chances of dying of COVID-19. Over the past four weeks:
• An unvaccinated person who contracts the virus is 5.1 times more likely to die than a fully vaccinated person, and 19.6 times more likely than a boosted person.
• An unvaccinated person who contracts the virus is 2.1 times more likely to be hospitalized than a fully vaccinated person, and 5.4 times more likely than a boosted person.
• An unvaccinated person is 1.9 times as likely to contract the virus than a fully vaccinated person, and twice likely than a boosted person.
While state data shows 61.4% of Utahns were fully vaccinated as of Wednesday, just 27.3% of all Utahns have received a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Find where to get vaccinated at coronavirus.utah.gov/vaccine-distribution. Find where to get tested at coronavirus.utah.gov/utah-covid-19-testing-locations.
Intermountain relaxes visitor policies
Intermountain Healthcare announced Friday that it has relaxed certain visitor guidelines for its Utah hospitals and clinics, citing relatively low COVID-19 transmission rates throughout the state.
“We’re proceeding with caution,” Dr. Eddie Stenehjem, an Intermountain infectious diseases physician, said. “Even in a period of lower COVID transmission, there is still risk of transmission of COVID to our vulnerable patients in our facilities.”
For adult patients who are COVID-19 positive or suspected to have COVID-19, one visitor is allowed at a time, with a cap of two per day. For pediatric COVID-19 patients, two visitors are allowed per day.
All visitors must still wear masks in common areas of the hospitals, including in cafeterias when not eating. Some units and clinics, including those at Primary Children’s Hospital, may have more restrictive visitor policies.
For updated visitor guidance, visit: https://intermountainhealthcare.org/health-wellness-promotion/pandemics/covid/visitor-guidelines.
Breakdown of updated figures
Vaccine doses administered in the past day/total doses administered • 2,314 / 4,985,261.
Number of Utahns fully vaccinated • 1,994,381 — 61.4% of Utah’s total population. That is an increase of 489 in the past day.
Cases reported during the past day • 120.
Vaccination status • Health officials do not immediately have or release the vaccination status of individuals who test positive, who are hospitalized or who die. They do calculate the overall risk ratios of these outcomes depending on vaccination status, which is listed above.
Tests reported in the past day • A total of 4,571 people were tested.
Deaths reported in the past day • Six. Three deaths occurred before Feb. 18.
There were two deaths in Utah County, both men between the ages of 65-84. Weber County also reported two deaths — a woman 65-84, and a man 85 or older.
A Salt Lake County woman 85 or older died, as did a Davis County woman 65-84.
Hospitalizations reported in the day • 156. That’s the same number reported on Thursday. Of those currently hospitalized, 26 are in intensive care, three fewer than on Thursday.
Percentage of positive tests • Under the state’s original method, the rate was 6.6% in the past day. That is higher than the seven-day average of 5.4%.
The state’s new method counts all test results, including repeated tests of the same individual. Friday’s rate was 2.6%, lower than the seven-day average of 3.3%.
[Read more: Utah is changing how it measures the rate of positive COVID-19 tests. Here’s what that means.]
Totals to date • 926,442 cases; 4,561 deaths; 33,793 hospitalizations; 9,341,821 tests administered.