SALT LAKE CITY — State health officials are calling on young adults in Utah County to be more responsible as the demographic is seeing a significant increase in COVID-19 cases.
"We are experiencing a clear upward trend in case counts right now. This trend is being driven, in large part, by an increase in cases among college-aged young adults in Utah County," state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn said.
The Utah Department of Health reported 563 new cases Monday, bringing the statewide total to 58,438. There were three additional deaths reported, totaling 436.
Dunn said Monday that 39 percent of all new cases since Friday have come from Utah County — which contains 20 percent of the state's population.
Most of those cases, Dunn said, are people between 14-24 years old, with college-aged young adults making up most of those instances.
"Colleges across the state, and specifically in Utah County, have acted proactively to implement solid prevention measures on their campuses. They need help from their students to act responsibly while off campus. What students do off campus has a direct impact on a school's ability to safely operate their campus," Dunn said in a statement. "People should avoid large, indoor gatherings where physical distancing is not possible. They should wear face coverings in public, they should stay home if they are sick, and they need to follow quarantine and isolation instructions from public health."
So far, 721,682 people in Utah have been tested for COVID-19.
Utah's rolling seven-day average for positive tests is 487 per day.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 3,338 people in Utah have required hospitalization for COVID-19. Of those, 134 remain hospitalized.
436 people in Utah have died of COVID-19. The three new deaths announced Monday are:
- Male, between 65-84, Duchesne County resident, not hospitalized at time of death
- Male, between 65-84, Salt Lake County resident, hospitalized at time of death
- Male, between 25-44, Utah County resident, hospitalized at time of death
48,934 of Utah's COVID-19 cases are considered "recovered." A case with a diagnosis date of more than three weeks ago, who has not passed away, is considered recovered.