Utah’s daily COVID-19 cases spike to record high 867 cases

UTAH, July 10, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah’s daily COVID-19 case total on Friday spiked to a new high: 867 cases, 145 more cases than the previous record — 722 cases — set just two days earlier.

The new high comes a week after the July 4 weekend began, last Friday.

Two more deaths also were reported in the past 24 hours, a drop from the record of seven deaths on Thursday. The patients who died were:

• A Washington County man between ages 65 and 84, hospitalized prior to death
• A Salt Lake County woman, older than 85, a resident of a long-term care facility

Utah state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn on Friday released the following statement:

“We all have the responsibility to do our individual part to help turn the tide of our ongoing spike in cases. Our hospitals need our cooperation and our high-risk populations need our cooperation.

“I know we can turn this trend around, and we can do it by practicing physical distancing, wearing masks, staying home and away from others when we are sick, and washing our hands regularly.”

Gov. Gary Herbert, speaking at a news conference on Friday, asked Utahn’s to wear masks voluntarily, but added that if numbers don’t decline to a daily average of cases in the low 500s, he may mandate the wearing of masks to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Herbert later extended a previous executive order mandating the use of “face coverings” in all state office facilities. He also ordered current Health Risk Status levels to remain in effect for communities in Utah until July 24, 2020.

Utah has had 28,223 positive cases of the virus, the Friday report says.

Those tested number 395,974, and increase of 7,241 in the past 24 hours.

The rolling seven-day average for positive tests is 620 per day, representing a 10% rate of infection among those tested, which, according to Utah health officials, is also a record high.

Those hospitalized since the outbreak began number 1,748. At present, 182 patients are hospitalized.

In total, 207 people have now died as a result of the COVID-19 virus, the Utah Department of Health report says.

Those categorized as recovered, defined as still living three weeks after diagnosis, number 16,261.

To see the numbers broken down by area of the state, check the chart below.