The fifth death related to the coronavirus in Utah was announced on Tuesday as well as 81 new confirmed cases of the virus. State epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn said this is a 10% increase in cases and that the state is maintaining a 5% positive test rate.
Dunn also said the Central Utah Health Department had reported it's first case of COVID-19 on Tuesday. This number is not reflected in the statewide numbers yet, but it means that all health departments in the state are reporting positive cases of the virus.
The total number of reported cases that have been done in Utah is 18, 518 tests. Dunn said a record of 2,510 tests were completed yesterday.
If the spread of the coronavirus continues at the current rate, Dunn said the state healthcare system should not be overwhelmed, but considerations for potential emergency hospital spaces are still happening. She also said it is still too soon to know if the curve is flattening. According to Dunn, it will take at least a few weeks of testing data to make that determination.
When asked about if officials in the Utah Department of Health had advised state leaders to issue a stronger, statewide stay-at-home order, Dunn said they had told leaders what the benefits of this would be. She did not say whether or not they had given specific advice regarding a mandatory stay-at-home order that was not being taken.
The full press conference can be watched here.
The most recent information on the state website can be found here.
