Utah ranks in the top 20 nationwide for per capita coronavirus cases, while the death rate remains relatively low.

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The first week of July was characterized by a steady growth of the coronavirus, as authorities feared that a festive weekend could lead to more positive cases.

On Sunday, the Utah Department of Health reported 410 new cases out of 4,592 tests. That’s a decrease from the previous Sunday, when Utah saw 472 new cases, though it’s unclear whether Saturday’s vacation may have affected reports.

All in all, Utah saw 3,852 new cases during the week, a 5.8% increase over the 3,638 cases seen the week before. The new cases were also enough to push Utah to the top 20 states nationwide in terms of per capita cases. Utah overtook Virginia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania this week, some of the hardest hit states at the start of the pandemic.

However, thanks to a relatively young and healthy population, as well as the recent appearance of the increase in cases, Utah is ranked 43rd in terms of deaths per capita. Utah’s fatality rate is currently the lowest in the country: 0.74%.

Three additional deaths were reported Sunday: a man over 85 in Washington County who was hospitalized at the time of death; a man between 65 and 84 years old from Utah County who was hospitalized; and a Salt Lake County man between the ages of 65 and 84 for whom “there is no additional information.”

Overall, the Health Department estimates that 14,187 patients have recovered from the virus so far, which means that there are 10,805 cases considered active. The state has no direct data on whether or not patients have recovered from the disease; instead, they consider that the cases that have not caused deaths in three weeks were “recovered”.

Authorities warned of the impact the weekend of July 4 could have when families gather for traditional celebrations, some without the benefit of social distancing or masks. “We had a # COVID19 increase after Memorial Day. Our hospitals can’t handle another one, ”wrote state epidemiologist Angela Dunn in a tweet. “We are spending the holiday weekend separated from the others, outside in the open air and wearing masks IF we have to go somewhere else. Please do the same.

That’s something that local hospital officials also echoed. “We absolutely, 100% need to flatten the curve right now,” Dr. Edward Stenehjem, infectious disease specialist at Intermountain Healthcare, said Tuesday. “We cannot tolerate a large increase after a July 4 holiday. We simply cannot. We don’t have the hospital’s ability to do it. “

The concern is that Utah will see the same explosive growth in cases that have affected other western states like Arizona in recent weeks. There, the state health department created guidelines on how to assign care to some patients and not to others if hospitals become overcrowded. Those crisis measures have yet to be implemented, as the state has 90% use of beds in the ICU this weekend.

In Utah, 186 new people were hospitalized as a result of the disease during the week. As of Sunday, 183 people in Utah were hospitalized as a result of the coronavirus, leaving 84 ICU beds full. An additional 54 are suspected of having COVID-19, but have not yet received a positive test. That means that 64% of all ICU beds in Utah are being used right now, and 46% of non-ICU beds.

The median age of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 is 53.5 in Utah. The average age of those killed is 72.9.

Eighteen new deaths occurred as a result of the virus this week: 12 between the ages of 65 and 84, three between the ages of 18 and 44, two between the ages of 45 and 64, and one older than 85.

Nationwide, former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told CBS News that the United States “must accept the fact that we are in the second wave right now.” Cases in the past week have exceeded those of the peak of the pandemic in early April.

In response, mask mandates have appeared across the country. That includes Utah, where masks are currently mandatory within companies in Salt Lake County, Summit County, and Grand County. If worn consistently, masks could reduce the effective contagion rate enough to cause the virus to decrease in our communities; Right now, each Utah coronavirus case infects 1.05 people on average, according to an estimate on RT.live. Even a moderate decrease in that number would change the course of the virus.

That’s what prompted Governor Gary Herbert to implore people to wear a mask over the holiday weekend on Twitter: “It is an honorable act to sacrifice some personal comfort or family traditions this year as we face the largest pandemic of our lives. All we ask is to wear a mask!