COVID-19 is still widespread in Utah, although fewer people are hospitalized

SALT LAKE CITY – Another 15,148 people received the COVID-19 vaccine in Utah, the state health department reported Saturday.

So far, 27,542 people have been fully vaccinated, with another 194,733 in Utah receiving the first dose – meaning nearly 7% of Utahns have started the process or are well on their way.

Health officials said at least 70% of Utahns should be vaccinated against COVID-19 to influence the further spread of the disease.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox tweeted on Saturday that when he became governor, Utah had vaccinated 5,000 a day, and by Friday that number had risen to at least 15,000 because “our local health departments have piled up.” He said changes include the focus on using what the state has to vaccinate as many people as possible with a first dose; also the distribution of vaccines when not used effectively.

The 13 local health departments across the state are doing what they can to get the vaccine for eligible groups, which includes health care workers, residents and staff for long-term health care facilities, teachers and public school staff, and Utahns 70 years and older. . And Cox gave them carte blanche to get it done – “every day we provide new resources: upgrading servers, call centers, data entry and nurses,” he said. tweeted.

Many health districts reported full bookings up to and including February.

Cox said the second dose of the vaccine will remain reserved for all Utahns receiving the first dose, until one week after the second dose is scheduled. At that point, he said, it would be redistributed and used as a first dose for someone else.

On Saturday on Twitter, he said that this does not mean that a person will not get their second dose, but that the state will move through its stock of vaccine as quickly as possible.

“From day one, I said, ‘We’ll use every dose in seven days. If you do not use it, do not have it, ” he told CNN’s Chris Cuomo on Friday, regarding the backlog of doses that sit unused on the shelves at pharmacies CVS and Walgreens due to federal contracts. Cox said they have more than they need to achieve their goal of vaccinating customers and staff at long-term care facilities.

“… We just need more vaccine provision,” Cox tweeted Saturday. ‘We currently receive 33,000 first doses every week … and we have just delivered 50,000 doses within four days. We need more and we will be ready. We are happy that there are so many dedicated professionals who make this happen. ”

He told Cuomo that Utah’s allocation of 33,000 vaccines would be used every week by Wednesday. “And it’s going to happen every week until we get more,” Cox said.

Masks, social distance and proper hand hygiene will remain important even after vaccination to prevent a new upsurge in cases. There are signs that the recent upswing after holidays is slowing down, including lower daily cases and the lower percentage of positive tests.

The state has tested nearly 2 million people, including an increase of 10,001 since Friday.

The Utah Department of Health on Saturday reported 1,771 new cases of COVID-19, as well as a slight decrease in the seven-day moving average of positive tests – to 18.9%. Weeks ago, the average percentage of daily positive tests was 33%, and in the past week it has risen above 19%.

It is also promising that there has been a significant decrease in the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 throughout Utah. Saturday’s report indicates that 481 are currently hospitalized, compared to 488 on Friday and 529 on Thursday.

The health department has reported 11 new deaths due to COVID-19 since Friday, including eight men and three women, from across the state. Two of the 11 reported deaths occurred before December 31 and were reported Friday due to lengthy and thorough investigations into all possible COVID-19 deaths by the Utah office of the medical examiner.

A total of 1,582 people in Utah died from the disease, adding to the more than 2 million COVID-19 deaths worldwide and more than 415,793 in the United States, as reported by the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine .

New deaths from COVID-19 reported on Saturday are:

• A Salt Lake County man between the ages of 45 and 64 who was hospitalized at the time of his death.
• A woman between the ages of 65 and 84 in Salt Lake County, who was a long-term resident.
• A Washington County man between 65 and 84 admitted to the hospital.
• A Utah County woman over 85 admitted to the hospital.
• A man aged 45 to 64 in Davis County who has been admitted to hospital.
• A man in Davis County between the ages of 65 and 84 who was admitted to the hospital.
• A Duchesne County woman between the ages of 45 and 64 was admitted to hospital.
• A man between 65 and 84 in Sanpete County who was not admitted to the hospital.
• A Utah County man over 85 admitted to the hospital.
• Two men from Salt Lake County over the age of 85, one of whom was admitted to the hospital and the other not.

Visit coronavirus.utah.gov for more information on Utah’s COVID-19 response.