With COVID-19 cases on the rise, ten new deaths have been reported in Utah, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. The Southwest Utah Public Health Department reported seven new cases in Iron County.
For the week of Oct. 22-28, the positive test rate was recorded to be 18.9%, with the SWUPHD reporting it at 17.9% on Wednesday.
Washington County reported a startling 84 new cases. Kane County reported three news cases, and Beaver and Garfield counties each reported two.
The SLT reported that with the ten new deaths bringing the total number to 588, “the state’s rate of new diagnoses continued to rise to record levels.”
The deaths included five Salt Lake County residents, who were one woman older than 85, two women aged 45 to 64 and another woman and man aged 65 to 84. Three Weber County residents passed away, who were two women and one man aged 65 to 84. The final two deaths recorded were a Utah County woman and a Millard County man aged 65 to 84.
The seven-day average sitting at 1,494 on Tuesday increased to an average of 1,549 new positive test results a day as of Wednesday.
These numbers are “quadruple Gov. Gary Herbert’s earlier goal to keep weeklong averages below 400 new cases per day,” the SLT reported.
With an increased amount of positive cases, the percentage of positive test results has risen to 17.9%, another record-high rate, according to the SLT.
Brigham Young University’s case numbers are lower than at the beginning of the fall semester, when they had as many as 474 cases reported in one week, but their total case count remains the highest of any university in Utah. Their percentage of the infected campus community was reported at 4.9%.
Southern Utah University reported seven self-reported cases during the week of Oct. 15-21. Cases for the week of Oct. 22-28 will be available on SUU’s coronavirus website on Thursday.
Story by: Elizabeth Armstrong
news@suunews.net
