358 more COVID-19 cases, 2 deaths, 30K vaccinations reported Tuesday in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s number of COVID-19 cases increased by 358 on Tuesday, with two more deaths and 30,001 vaccinations reported, according to the Utah Department of Health.

The rolling seven-day average number of positive cases per day is now at 406, according to the health department. The positive test rate per day for that time period calculated with the “people over people” method is now 7.7%. The positive test rate per day for that time period calculated with the “test over test” method is now 3.8%.

There are 124 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, including 59 in intensive care, state data shows. About 64% of all intensive care unit beds in Utah are now occupied, including about 67% of ICU beds in the state’s 16 referral beds, according to the health department. About 48% of non-ICU hospital beds are now occupied, state data shows.

A total of 1,738,003 vaccine doses have been administered in the state, up from 1,708,002 Monday. A total of 1,120,254 Utahns have now received at least one vaccine dose, while 699,517 are now considered fully vaccinated. A total of 1,956,010 vaccine doses have been shipped to Utah so far.

The two deaths reported Tuesday were a Salt Lake County woman, who was between the ages of 45 and 64 and was hospitalized when she died, and a Carbon County woman who was between the ages of 65 and 84 and was not hospitalized when she died.

Tuesday’s totals give Utah 390,647 total confirmed cases, with 15,804 total hospitalizations and 2,161 total deaths from the disease.

Utah HB294, which is also known as the state’s pandemic “endgame” bill, requires all state and local health orders related to COVID-19 to end on the day that Utah reaches the threshold in three key metrics: the state’s 14-day case rate is less than 191 per 100,000 people, the seven-day average of COVID-19 intensive care unit usage is under 15%, and 1,633,000 prime doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been allocated to Utah.

The 14-day case rate is now at 173.1, and the seven-day COVID-19 ICU average is now at 10%. The state’s prime dose allocation is now 1,063,775, according to health officials. It’s expected to cross the 1,633,000-dose threshold in the second or third week of May, health officials say. Prime doses refer to the first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine cycles, as well as the sole dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox is scheduled to provide a COVID-19 update during his monthly news conference with PBS Utah at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Health officials announced Tuesday that Utah will pause its administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after federal regulators said six cases of blood clotting were reported in women who had received the vaccine. No blood clotting cases related to the Johnson & Johnson product have been reported in Utah.