Utah Nears 300 Confirmed Cases Of COVID-19

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Department of Health on Tuesday updated the state’s number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 298.

There was one death related to the coronavirus in the state, which officials reported on Sunday. No new deaths have been reported.

Salt Lake County Health District has the most cases (127), followed by Summit County (90) and Davis County (31). Wasatch County has 16 cases, Utah County has 14 cases, Weber-Morgan has nine, Southwest Utah has five, Bear River has four and Tooele County has two.

There are no cases reported in the Central Utah, San Juan, Southeast Utah, or TriCounty health districts.

State epidemiologist Angela Dunn said UDOH should be closer to its goal of testing 5,000 people daily by the end of the week. On Monday the department administered 2,600 tests.

“We want everybody to know that we have expanded our criteria for people who can get tested for COVD-19,” Dunn said. “We have this extra capacity and we want everyone to know that if they have a fever, cough, shortness of breath they can go and get evaluated for a COVID-19 test.”

The data from the extra tests will be valuable to help identify where the disease is in the state and implement control measures more effectively, according to Dunn.

Tuesday’s number of new cases was lower than we’ve seen in the past several days.

“I think this just means we can’t really rely on the day-to-day numbers,” Dunn said. “We really need to look at the picture as a whole.”

Social distancing is still the main method of control, according to health experts. In fact, Dunn mentioned social distancing at least a dozen times during her daily update Tuesday.

People in several states are living under shelter in place orders that will last up to 15 days. Dunn said Utah is not close to that kind of order.

“We haven’t really seen widespread transmission of COVID-19, which has been seen in other states that have issued those orders,” she said.

Dunn explained Utah’s testing rate is about four-to-five percent.

“That’s lower than other states such as Colorado where they are seeing upwards of 12-to-18% testing positive,” she said.

You can watch the daily UDOH updates by downloading the KSL TV app.

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Coronavirus Resources  

• Have you or a family member been affected by coronavirus issues in Utah? KSL TV wants to hear from you. Contact KSL by emailing social@ksl.com.  
• What is COVID-19? Here’s What You Need To Know To Stay Healthy  
• What We Know And Don’t Know About The Coronavirus  
• Four Common Coronavirus Questions Answered  

• The latest coronavirus stories from KSL TV can be found at our Staying Safe: Coronavirus section.  
• Your Life Your Health: How can parents prepare their home, children against coronavirus?  

How Do I Prevent It?  

The CDC has some simple recommendations, most of which are the same for preventing other respiratory illnesses or the flu:  

• Avoid close contact with people who may be sick  

• Avoid touching your face  
• Stay home when you are sick  
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash  
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.  
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.  

The CDC does not recommend wearing a face mask respirator to protect yourself from coronavirus unless a healthcare professional recommends it.  

How To Get Help  

If you’re worried you may have COVID-19, you can contact the Utah Coronavirus Information Line at 1-800-456-7707 to speak to trained healthcare professionals. You can also use telehealth services through your healthcare providers.   

Additional Resources  

If you see evidence of PRICE GOUGING, the Utah Attorney General’s Office wants you to report it. Common items in question include toilet paper, water, hand sanitizer, certain household cleaners, and even cold medicine and baby formula. Authorities are asking anyone who sees price gouging to report it to the Utah Division of Consumer Protection at 801-530-6601 or 800-721-7233. The division can also be reached by email at consumerprotection@utah.gov.