Utah sets new high in number of coronavirus hospitalizations
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Utah health authorities on Sunday announced a new high in the number of coronavirus hospitalizations as well as 2,386 more COVID-19 cases as the pandemic surges in the state.
Some 424 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Sunday, according to a statement issued by Charla Haley, a spokesperson with the Utah Department of Health. On Friday, hospitalizations stood at a then-record 395 COVID-19 patients.
Utah's seven-day average of new daily cases has reached a record-breaking 2,290. In the past two weeks, Utah's positivity average - the percentage of coronavirus tests that are positive - has increased from 18.5% to 20.6%, according to state data.
At least 659 residents have died of the coronavirus and more than 132,000 have been infected.
The U.S. is setting records for coronavirus cases heading into cold weather season when many experts expect the virus will be harder to contain. The seven-day rolling average for daily new cases stood at nearly 104,000 on Saturday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
The coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.
