Hospitalizations set record high two days in a row

SALT LAKE CITY — For the second day in a row, COVID-19 hospitalizations reached a new record high in Utah with 243 reported by the Utah Department of Health Friday. 

State officials announced the previous record, 237, on Thursday. 

The health department reported 1,343 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, for a total of 83,290 in Utah since the pandemic began. The number of hospitalizations, 243, includes 86 patients in intensive care units, a number which held steady from the day before. 

The new record came just a day after state officials warned ICU capacity was close to maxing out at the University of Utah Medical Center. 

Four additional patients died in the latest numbers from state health officials. Of those, all were patients over the age of 65; two were long-term care facility residents and two were hospitalized. 

For more details about case counts you can explore interactively, visit our coronavirus tracker here. 

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How To Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 Coronavirus

COVID-19 coronavirus spreads person to person, similar to the common cold and the flu. So, to prevent it from spreading:

• Wash hands frequently and thoroughly, with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds.
• Don’t touch your face.
• Keep children and those with compromised immune systems away from someone who is coughing or sneezing (in this instance, at least six feet)
• If there is an outbreak near you, practice social distancing (stay at home, instead of going to the movies, sports events, or other activities.)
• Get a flu shot.

Local resources

KSL Coronavirus Q&A 

Utah’s Coronavirus Information 

Utah State Board of Education

Utah Hospital Association

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Utah Coronavirus Information Line – 1-800-456-7707

National Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Commonly asked questions, World Health Organization

Cases in the United States

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