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Utah has once again broken its record for the largest daily increase in new coronavirus cases, the second time in less than a week, reporting 676 positive results on Friday.
With the number of cases continuing to rise, the state has also passed another benchmark, crossing the 20,000 mark for infected people. There have now been a total of 20,050 confirmed cases here.
Dr. Angela Dunn, a state epidemiologist, issued a strong reprimand on Friday, saying the numbers mean that each resident must wear a mask, whether it is mandatory in their county or not. If that doesn’t happen, she warned, the numbers will worsen. More people will die. Hospitals will be overwhelmed.
And, Dunn said, that will happen soon. “We need a large-scale behavioral change by all Utahns to reverse this trend,” he said in a statement.
Utah also reported two additional deaths on Friday. The total is now 166 for the state.
The new numbers include a man in Weber County, between the ages of 65 and 84, who was residing in a long-term care facility. The second was a man, age 85 and older, from Salt Lake County who was also staying in a health care facility, according to the Utah Department of Health.
COMPLETE STATEMENT BY DR. ANGELA DUNN
For the second time in a week, we are announcing our highest total of daily cases. These cases affect ALL Utah residents. They have the potential to threaten our economy and our ability to ensure that people can receive the care they need in our hospitals.
Each of these cases represents a household that you must now quarantine. This means that parents will not be able to go to work and children will not be able to see their friends. Each of these cases brings us closer to maximizing our hospital capacity. If this happens, some Utahns who need hospital care may not be able to get it. And each of these cases poses a clear and significant danger to someone who falls into a high-risk category.
We need a large-scale behavioral change by all Utahns to reverse this trend. Everyone, whether required in their county or not, should wear a mask to help protect those around them. Everyone should practice physical distancing, stay home if they are sick, and wash their hands regularly.
Before Friday, the previous daily record for new cases was reached on Saturday, with a total of 643. However, the intermediate days have also seen big jumps, such as 590 cases on Thursday and 484 on Wednesday.
“These cases affect ALL Utah residents,” Dunn said. “They have the potential to threaten our economy and our ability to ensure that people can receive the care they need in our hospitals. … Each of these cases brings us closer to maximizing our hospital capacity. If this happens, some Utahns who need hospital care may not be able to get it. ”
Utah coronavirus patients filled 174 beds as of Friday, setting another record for the highest hospital occupancy so far.
Of those individuals, 80 are in an intensive care unit. And the state, overall, now has approximately 65% capacity for those spaces. Since the pandemic began, 1,321 Utahns have been hospitalized.
Due to the increase in new cases, Intermountain Healthcare said Friday that it will return to more restrictive visiting policies at its hospitals and clinics at 7 am Monday. Hospital visits will not be allowed, although accommodations will be made for infant patients, mothers in labor, adults who need assistance, and patients who are at the end of life.
Adult patients should go to clinics alone; Children and adults requiring assistance must be accompanied by a healthy adult.
“We understand that communicating with loved ones is an important part of a patient’s healing process,” said Shannon Phillips, director of patient experience at Intermountain Healthcare. She encouraged people to communicate through “phone calls, video chats, or text messages, which are great alternatives to help patients feel loved and connected.”
The increase comes as well, as residents who attended the “Fun City” carnival in Vernal this week are asked to quarantine and watch for symptoms after nine employees operating the amusements there. tested positive for coronavirus.
The staff had been evaluated at American Fork a week earlier. But city officials in Vernal say they were not informed of the results until after the event had already started on Thursday.
They closed it, according to a Uintah County press release, as soon as they received an alert from the TriCounty Health Department.
It is possible that hundreds have been exposed before that.
TriCounty Health Officer Jordan Mathis advises those in attendance to stay home and isolate themselves, especially if they begin to show symptoms. He also said “avoid any contact with high-risk people, including those who are 65 years of age or older or are immunocompromised.”
The event had been approved to take place in the city’s Western Park after the carnival operator unveiled a plan to maintain social distance from amusements, require employees to wear masks, and sanitize rides between uses. At the time of authorization, Uintah County was in the “yellow” or moderate risk zone for coronavirus. Since then, the governor has moved the area to “green,” or with little or no risk.
The county said Friday that it will continue to operate in “green” and will not cancel plans for other events this summer, including a rodeo and various stage performances.
“There are risks associated with many of the things we do every day,” Uintah County Commission Chairman Brad Horrocks said in a statement. “It is up to people to decide personally what amount of risk is acceptable to them or to take steps to reduce the risks.”
