The Southwest Utah Public Health Department reported five new cases of COVID-19 in Iron County Monday as Gov. Gary Herbert weighs a statewide mask mandate because of spiking rates in positive tests.
Herbert will wait at least another day before adding new restrictions.
The Utah Department of Health announced 622 new cases of COVID-19 across the state. The rate of tests with positive results was at 13.6% on Monday, the highest level recorded so far in Utah.
When asked what proposals Herbert was considering, his spokeswoman Anna Lehnardt told the Salt Lake Tribune, “Everything is on the table,” repeating his description from last week.
Herbert previously set a goal for the state to maintain a rate of new cases below 400 by September, a feat met briefly in August.
The state has averaged 847 new positive test results per day for the past week. That seven day total far exceeds July’s top weeklong average of 671 new daily cases.
SWUPHD reported that five new Iron County residents received a positive test on Sunday. In total, 723 residents of the county have contracted COVID-19.
Across southwestern Utah, 15 more residents tested positive for the virus Monday alongside 22 more on Sunday.
The rolling seven-day average for new cases per day in Iron County is at 3.86. The average for the previous seven days was 2.42.
UDOH reported another death since Sunday, a Salt Lake County man older than 85 who died in a hospital. The death toll rose to 441.
Southern Utah University reported that nine people filled out the self-reporting form for COVID-19 on Thursday. Thus far 26 members of the student body, faculty and staff have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Brigham Young University reported 927 total cases as of Sunday, up 165 cases in two days. There are 400 reported active cases on campus. BYU, which began in-person classes on Aug. 31, has had the highest number of cases at a university since fall term began.
Utah State University reported 289 fall cases as of Monday, up from 258 on Saturday. The University of Utah had not updated its figures since Tuesday, but two of the campus zip codes are among the four in Salt Lake County with the highest prevalence of new cases, according to county data. Utah Valley University had not updated its case reports for a week.
Story by: Connor Sanders
eic@suunews.net
Photo courtesy of SUU.
