Confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Utah now exceed 800, as of Monday afternoon at 1 p.m. State epidemiologist Angela Dunn said in today's press conference that over 16,000 people in the state have been tested for the virus so far.This is a 12 percent increase in cases.
The total number of deaths due to coronavirus is four. Dunn said the state's hospitalization rate is at 8% and that it is important that social distancing continues in order to not overwhelm the system. Social distancing measures are important she said not only because it protects people from getting sick, but because it protects them from infecting other people, especially those who are more vulnerable.
Gov. Gary Herbert also spoke during the press conference. He said right now, Utah is about two weeks behind other states in the nation. Hebert also said it is very important that young adults and teenagers recognize they are still very susceptible to contracting the virus, even if they aren't in the higher risk groups. He said the social distancing of these individuals will be very important to flattening the curve.
