Southern Utah COVID update: ICU hospitalizations, deaths remain steady

Nurses and doctors attend to a COVID-19 patient on a ventilator, photo location and date not specified | Photo courtesy of Intermountain Healthcare, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Local COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths have remained steady for the last week, though that steady is still seeing daily deaths.

Intravenous fluids being fed into a COVID-19 patient at Intermountain Hospital, Murray, Utah, October 2021 | Photo courtesy Intermountain Healthcare, St. George News

An average of two to three Southern Utahns have been added per day to the death count of 425 locals who have passed of COVID-19 since March 2020. There have been 14 people in Southern Utah who have been newly listed as dead of COVID-19 in the last week according to the Utah Department of Health, five of whom were under 45 years old.

Per the Utah Department of Health, a person is declared of dying of COVID only if the person would not have died if they were not infected with the disease.

While the local hospitals have seen a receding in the over-capacity problem in the last few weeks that had been an issue since late August, St. George News has learned that St. George Regional Hospital’s intensive care unit remains filled beyond capacity, mostly with COVID-19 patients.

Hospital officials have previously said the ICU being beyond capacity is the main reason many surgeries have been delayed and will continue to be, especially surgeries requiring an ICU bed after surgery.

Personnel from the U.S. Department of Defence train with Utah Department of Health officials to handle monoclonal antibody infusion equipment as part of the opening of a Utah Department of Health COVID-19 antibody clinic, St. George, Utah, Nov. 3, 2021 | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, St. George Regional Hospital was at 84% capacity as of Tuesday and Cedar City Hospital was at 68%. Both hospitals are at 17% filled with COVID-19 patients.

Hospitals are receiving help in the form of a Southern Utah monoclonal antibody infusion clinic, which opened last weekend.

While there are parts of the country seeing a rise in new infections in the last week, that’s not the case in Utah or locally. New COVID-19 infections in Southern Utah are down 4.1% in the last week. That’s still not enough to keep every county in Southern Utah from remaining high in transmission rate in the state COVID-19 Transmission Index.

Southern Utah coronavirus count (as of Wednesday, according to Utah Department of Health)

Positive COVID-19 tests: 43,232 (7-day average of 93.14 per day, down 4.1% in last week)

Active cases: 1,926 (rising since Nov. 3)

  • Washington County (High in Transmission Index): 522.09 per 100K rate in 14 days, rising since Nov. 3)
  • Iron County (High): 601.76, falling
  • Kane County (High): 393.10, rising
  • Garfield County (High): 415.76, falling
  • Beaver County (High): 998.51 rising

Hospitalized: 49 (rising)

Deaths: 425 (14 since Nov. 3)

New infections per day in Southern Utah:

  • Sunday (Nov. 7): 48
  • Monday (Nov. 8): 78
  • Tuesday (Nov. 9): 68
  • Wednesday (Nov. 10): 89
  • Thursday (Nov. 11): 134
  • Friday (Nov. 12): 92

Current Utah seven-day average: 1,469 (falling)

Fully vaccinated in  Southern Utah: 112,868 (44.8% fully vaccinated, +0.4% since Nov. 3)

  • St. George: 48.63% fully vaccinated (+0.34%) 
  • Cedar City: 40.06% (+0.34%)
  • Washington City: 44.75% (+0.38%)
  • Ivins/Santa Clara: 51.13% (+0.53%)
  • Hurricane/LaVerkin: 37.94% (+0.43%)
  • Enterprise/Veyo/Springdale/Hildale: 43.48% (+0.4%)
  • Beaver/Garfield/Kane counties: 42.97% (+0.49%)

Southern Utah schools active COVID-19 infections (as of Wednesday, according to Utah Department of Health)

NOTE: Utah Department of Health currently provides only ranges of the number of infections in each district, rather than exact figures. Figures may be an overall undercount as not all infections among students are reported to the state.

    • Washington County School District: 30 to 120 (falling since Nov. 3)
    • Iron County School District:18 to 48 (falling)
    • Kane County School District: 1-4 (steady)
    • Garfield County School District: 2-8 (steady)
    • Beaver County School District: 0 (falling)
    • Southwest Utah Charter Schools: 6-24 (rising)
    • Southwest Utah Private Schools: 0 (steady)

Schools in yellow (In danger of moving to test-to-stay): None
Schools in red (Students/staff must test negative to attend): None
Top 5 schools: Cedar City High (Iron) 5 active infections, Canyon View Middle (Iron) 5, several others with 1-4.

Getting the COVID-19 vaccine

  • Those who can currently get the first dose of the vaccine: Everyone ages 5 and over. Those 5-18 can only receive the Pfizer vaccine. Use vaccinefinder.org to find clinics that have the Pfizer vaccine.
  • Those who can receive the second dose: Those who received their first injection 28 days or more before the appointment time.
  • Those who can receive a booster dose: Those who received Pfizer or Moderna at least six months ago and are 65 or older or 18+ with underlying health conditions or high-risk occupations. Those who received Johnson & Johnson at least two months ago and are 18 or older. Booster shots can be of any form of COVID-19 vaccine.
  • The Southwest Utah Public Health Department is currently online appointment only. Some pharmacies and stores are offering walk-up appointments. Check the links below before going.
  • Must wear a short-sleeve shirt at appointment and should have a personal ID.
  • Vaccines are free of charge.

Washington County:

Where: Southwest Utah Public Health Department St. George office, 620 S. 400 East, St George

For hours and more information, including pediatric appointments set to start Nov. 8: Click here 

Iron County:

Where: Southwest Utah Public Health Department Cedar City office, 260 DL Sargent Dr., Cedar City, 84721.

For hours and more information, including pediatric appointments set to start Nov. 8: Click here 

Kane County:

Where: Southwest Utah Public Health Department Kanab office, 445 N. Main St., Kanab.

For hours and more information, including pediatric appointments set to start Nov. 8: Click here 

Garfield County:

Where: Southwest Utah Public Health Department Panguitch office, 601 Center St., Panguitch.

For hours and more information, including pediatric appointments set to start Nov. 8: Click here 

Beaver County:

Where: Southwest Utah Public Health Department Beaver Office,  75 1175 North, Beaver.

For hours and more information, including pediatric appointments set to start Nov. 8: Click here 

St. George Regional Hospital/Intermountain Healthcare:

Where: 400 East Campus St. George Regional Hospital,  544 S. 400 East, St. George.

Reservations: Click to register

FourPoints Health:

Where: Various locations.

For hours and more information:: Click here

Revere Health:

Where: Revere Health Campus,  2825 E. Mall Drive, St. George.

Reservations: Call (435) 673-6131 to determine if the vaccine is available.

Albertsons:

Where: 745 N Dixie Dr in St. George and 915 Red Cliffs Dr. in Washington City.

Reservations: Click to register

Harmons:

Where: 1189 E. 700 South in St. George and 3520 Pioneer Parkway in Santa Clara.

Reservations: Click to register

Lin’s Marketplace:

Where: 1930 W. Sunset Blvd. and 2928 E. Mall Drive in St. George, 1120 State St. in Hurricane and 150 N Main St. in Cedar City.

Reservations: Click to register

Smith’s Food and Drug:

Where: 20 N. Bluff St. and 565 S. Mall Drive in St. George and 633 S. Main St. in Cedar City.

Reservations: Click to register

Target:

Where: 275 S River Rd. in St. George.

Reservations: Click to register

Walmart:

Where: 2610 Pioneer Rd. in St. George, 625 W. Telegraph St. in Washington City, 180 N. 3400 West in Hurricane and 1330 S. Providence Center Dr. in Cedar City.

Reservations: Click to register

Family pharmacies:

Where: Several locations

Reservations: Use vaccinefinder.org to find a location near you

 

COVID-19 information resources

St. George News has made every effort to ensure the information in this story is accurate at the time it was written. However, as the situation and science surrounding the coronavirus continues to evolve, it’s possible that some data has changed.

Check the resources below for up-to-date information and resources.

 

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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