Nearly nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the Utah Department of Health announced it has recorded the most daily cases since the crisis began.
The department's COVID-19 report for Thursday shows an increase of 911 confirmed cases—bringing the state's total to 60,658—and no new deaths.
Speaking in a news conference Thursday, Governor Gary Herbert said the recent spike in COVID-19 cases isn't a surprise, but the magnitude of it is. He called on local political and health leaders to make recommendations regarding COVID-19, and for Utah residents to modify their behavior to slow the spread of the disease.
For those who haven't been practicing social distancing, wearing masks and taking other precautions, he said, "now is the time to start."
Gov. Herbert has not issued a statewide mask mandate, opting instead to leave such mandates as prerogatives for local health departments, but the potential for a statewide mask mandate "never left the table," he said.
Thursday's report of 911 cases exceeds the 875 cases reported on July 9. Cases in the state have risen sharply over the past week.
So far, 735,138 people in Utah have been tested for COVID-19.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 3,401 people in Utah have required hospitalization for the disease. Of those, 120 remain hospitalized. A total of 437 people in Utah have died of COVID-19.
50,108 of Utah's cases are considered "recovered." A case with a diagnosis date of more than three weeks ago, who has not passed away, is considered recovered.