A Summit County woman has died from COVID-19, the Utah Department of Health reported Saturday, the second coronavirus-related fatality in the county and a somber development that comes as the pandemic continues to accelerate locally and throughout the state.
According to the Department of Health, the woman was between 65 and 84 years old and was a resident of a long-term care facility. No other details were released.
The woman’s death was one of nine reported statewide Saturday, pushing the total number of COVID fatalities in Utah to 710.
The other coronavirus death in Summit County occurred in July and involved a man over 65.
Utah’s rolling seven-day average for new cases hit an all-time high Friday at 2,956, a continuation of extraordinary growth in recent weeks that has alarmed health experts and prompted stricter coronavirus-fighting measures from Gov. Gary Herbert. As of Saturday, the statewide intensive care unit utilization rate was 85.6%. Officials have said hospitals are effectively at capacity at 85% utilization.
In Summit County, 28 new cases were reported Saturday. The county is in the midst of what is, by a significant measure, its largest surge in transmission since the pandemic began.