Utah sets new record for most COVID-19 cases in one day

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said Thursday he is considering a statewide mask mandate and is planning expanded coronavirus testing in response to what he called an alarming spike of infections in the state.

The state counted 911 new confirmed cases on Thursday, a new record for any single day. The rolling average of daily new cases has increased by about 54% over the past two weeks, according to state data, and has jumped to 661 per day this week compared to 381 per day last week.

“We are taking this spike and the magnitude of it very seriously,” Herbert told reporters.

Herbert, a Republican, has urged residents to wear masks for months but has stopped short of ever implementing a statewide mask mandate. He has instead allowed counties to decide if they needed bans.

He said the expanded coronavirus testing would be given to anyone who wants it, not just to those who have symptoms.

"We're not doing great. We're definitely trending up," said Eddie Stenehjem, Intermountain Healthcare infectious diseases physician, during a press conference earlier on Thursday.

Utah currently has 60,658 COVID-19 cases, according to data presented at the press conference. The rolling 7-day average for percent of positive laboratory tests is 11.9%.

Stenehjem said the recent uptick most likely reflects an increase in the transmission rate because there hasn't been a decrease in testing. Intermountain Healthcare has been testing 3,300 people per day on the seven-day average.

Additionally, there have been 437 COVID-19 deaths in Utah and 3,401 hospitalizations.

The numbers have risen higher than they were during the state's previous peak in July but Stenehjem said the demographics are different. In July, most COVID-19 cases were among those ages 24-44 and 44-64; now, the predominant increase of cases is among the 15-24 age group.

There's also a "pretty significant" regional variation. Stenehjem said when looking at rates per county by 100,000 people, Utah County has twice the rate at Salt Lake County.

Given there are about 65,000 students attending two different college campuses in Utah County, the numbers are "no coincidence." Stenehjem also expressed concern that not enough people in Utah County are wearing masks.

However, there's also been a "nice decline" in hospitalizations, and Stenejhem said the rate is "essentially flat" right now. The ages 15-24 population doesn't routinely get admitted to the hospital for COVID-19, he said, and are generally asymptomatic or have only mild symptoms.

Intermountain Healthcare's concern, then, is the transmission rate from the ages 15-24 population to their older, more vulnerable parents and grandparents.

"We'll be watching very, very closely what happens to hospitalizations and case counts, especially in the older population, as we anticipate that transmission from the young adult population to the older population," Stenejhem said.

Forty percent of this week's new virus cases were reported in Utah County, which accounts for 20 percent of the state's population, said Dr. Angela Dunn, the state epidemiologist.

The county has not put in place a face covering mandate outside of the city of Provo.

The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Kaitlyn Bancroft reports on faith, health, education, crime and under-served communities for The Spectrum & Daily News, a USA TODAY Network newsroom in St. George, Utah. You can reach her at KBancroft@thespectrum.com, or follow her on Twitter @katbancroft.