/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/sltrib/HCT2CSB36ZBKHOZD5JKVCPIK2M.JPG)
Editor’s note: The Salt Lake Tribune offers free access to critical stories about the coronavirus. Submit for our news stories on Top Stories, sent to your Inbox EVERY Wednesday morning. To support journalism like this, please donate or become a subscriber.
For the first time since June 9, Utah reported less than 300 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, along with nine new deaths.
The Utah Department of Health reported 263 new diagnoses Monday, down from the Saturday and Sunday reports of 376 new cases each.
For the past week, Utah has averaged 400 new confirmed cases per day, the Utah Department of Health reported. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has said he wants it to be on average seven days under September 1 among 400 new cases per day.
The rate of testing with positive results was 8.9% on Monday, continuing with a decline that began late last week. State epidemiologist Dr Angela Dunn said a 3% positivity rate would indicate the virus is under control.
Statewide, Utah’s positive testing rate has been above 9% since mid-June, according to UDOH data.
Hospitalizations were down slightly Monday, with 193 Utah patients admitted at one time, UDOH reported. On average, 191 patients received treatment in hospitals in Utah every day over the past week – a figure that has decreased by about a week and a half to a peak average of 211.
A total of 2,642 patients were admitted to Utah Hospital for COVID-19, up 22 from Sunday.
Utah’s death toll from the coronavirus rose to 345 on Monday, with nine deaths reported since Sunday. Seven of those were Salt Lake County residents:
- A man, aged 65 to 84, who lived in a long-term care facility.
- A man, aged 65 to 84, who died in a hospital.
- A woman, over 85, was not admitted at the time of death
- A man, aged 65 to 84, who died in a hospital.
- A woman, over 85, who lived in a long-term care facility.
- A man, 25 to 44 years old, who died in a hospital.
- A woman, aged 45 to 64, who died in a hospital.
The two others who died:
- A Grand County man, over 85, who died in a hospital.
- A Washington County woman, over 85, living in a long-term care facility.
Of 44,390 Utahs who tested positive for COVID-19, 34,319 were considered “recovered” – that is, they survived at least three weeks after diagnosis.
