SALT LAKE CITY — The feared post-holiday COVID-19 case surge may be hitting Utah as the state reported a large number of new cases Thursday.
The Utah Department of Health reports 4,672 new COVID-19 cases and 13 new deaths.
Utah's Gov.-elect Spencer Cox commented on the large jump in case numbers after a recent decrease, tweeting "while some might be attributed to low testing over the Christmas break, it's possibly the beginning of a holiday-related surge."
While case numbers and hospitalizations have been steadily decreasing over the past month, unfortunately we will see a big increase in cases today. While some might be attributed to low testing over the Christmas break, it’s possibly the beginning of a holiday-related surge. 1/
— Spencer Cox (@SpencerJCox) December 31, 2020
Experts have feared that those who did not heed warnings to stay home during the holidays would lead a surge of coronavirus cases.
Utah's rolling seven-day average for positive tests now stands at 2,288 per day, with the rolling seven-day average for the percent of positive tests is 25.6 percent.
As of Thursday, 510 people in Utah are currently hospitalized with the coronavirus.
Utah's COVID-19 death toll now stands at 1,269 with today's added deaths:
- Female, older than 85, Weber County resident, not hospitalized at time of death
- Male, between 65-84, Washington County resident, hospitalized at time of death
- Male, older than 85, Salt Lake County resident, hospitalized at time of death
- Male, between 65-84, Weber County resident, long-term care facility resident
- Male, older than 85, Salt Lake County resident, not hospitalized at time of death
- Male, between 65-84, Davis County resident, not hospitalized at time of death
- Male, between 65-84, Davis County resident, hospitalized at time of death
- Male, between 45-64, Salt Lake County resident, hospitalized at time of death
- Male, between 25-44, Weber County resident, not hospitalized at time of death
- Male, between 65-84, Weber County resident, hospitalized at time of death
- Female, older than 85, Tooele County resident, long-term care facility resident
- Male, between 65-84, Utah County resident, hospitalized at time of death
- Female, older than 85, Utah County resident, not hospitalized at time of death