“If we all do our part, we can get a lot accomplished as we try to win this war against the pandemic, “said Governor Gary Herbert during his weekly Coronavirus news conference.

Today’s numbers show another spike in case counts in the beehive state. The 1,501 new cases break another single-day record in Utah and the five newly reported deaths bring Utah’s death toll to more than 500.

State Epidemiologist, Dr. Angela Dunn, announced Utah’s seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,114 cases per day. One week ago, that number was 987.

“There are currently 237 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Utah right now,” said Doctor Dunn. “The age distribution of new cases is now spreading across all adult age groups it’s no longer just a surge in our 15 to 24 year olds.”

Utah started seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases last month, the State’s Health Department reported Utah County as a large contributor to that growing number. Now, experts say their case numbers are going down.

“At the beginning of the surge, Utah County was accounting for approximately 40% of our total state’s new cases and this past week they currently make up 30% of our new cases,” said Dr.

Dunn. “This is an example of the success we can have when we come together as a community.

The residents of Utah County made the decision to change their behavior by wearing face masks when they’re out, practicing physical distancing, and staying home when they are ill.”

Dr. Emily Sydnor Spivak is an infectious disease expert at the University of Utah Hospital. She also spoke during the news conference shedding some light on how medical workers are feeling while battling the virus from the front lines.

“If we continue to ignore science and medical recommendations, we will not be able to offer the best quality care that our community deserves and expects,” said Dr Spivak. “As a physician, a mother, and a concerned citizen I plead with you wear a mask at all times when you are outside of your home.”

ICU bed capacity is a top concern for local doctors right now. As of today, the University of Utah hospital is reporting that its ICU is at 95 percent capacity.

“Most of our staff would tell you they feel very supported and that they are doing the best that they can,” said Dr. Spivak. “But I’ll tell you there have been some personal stories shared with us at meetings with some of our Intensive care unit nurses and physicians that are heartbreaking. They feel very overwhelmed. We feel supported, we have great leadership, but people are really tired.”

For more information on Coronavirus case counts, including number of cases in your zip code or child’s school, visit: https://slco.org/health/COVID-19/data/