SALT LAKE CITY – While nearly 20,000 Utahns have received doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in the past day, an error in the registration process at Vaccinate.Utah.Gov caused a hiccup in the process.
According to the Utah Department of Health, the online website allowed about 7,200 people in Utah who did not meet the requirements to plan vaccinations in the coming weeks.
The health department reported on Saturday that the appointments would be canceled within the next 24 hours, although several hundred people canceled their own after learning about the mistake on social media. The health department apologized for the confusion and said that anyone who feels that the cancellation of their appointment is a mistake should contact the local health department where they are planning the appointment, or try to reschedule it.
“We appreciate the enthusiasm shown by Utah residents for the COVID-19 vaccine, and we encourage all Utahns to be vaccinated as soon as they are eligible,” Department spokesman Tom Hudachko said Saturday.
Utahns currently eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine include 65 and older and all 16 and older who have a qualifying medical condition that puts them at higher risk for serious illnesses.
The Department of Health also reported an increase of 686 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, in line with the declining trend in new cases.
A total of 702,293 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the Beehive States, accounting for less than 20% of the population when considering the two required doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccinations. Utah has not yet issued any doses from other manufacturers, but that is expected to change soon.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was approved on Saturday for authorization for emergency use by the federal Food and Drug Administration. The company said “we are ready to carry it out.” It is the first single-dose COVID-19 vaccine available, and it should significantly accelerate the spread of vaccines, especially in rural areas in the United States.
Government Spencer Cox told reporters during his weekly coronavirus briefing on Thursday that the federal government had approved more than 20,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine for the state.
With the now 370,770 confirmed COVID-19 infections since the pandemic began and an estimated percentage of asymptomatic cases, it is estimated that about 40% of Utahns are at least partially immune to diseases caused by the new coronavirus, health officials said Friday. .
The state tested 2.2 million people for the virus, including an increase of 6,752 reported since Friday. Several people need multiple tests, which in Utah means nearly 4 million tests have been taken since the pandemic began.
The current seven-day average number of positive tests reported each day is now 681. On average, 12.2% of people show up with positive test results, reports the Department of Health. The average percentage of positivity is 5.5% if some tests are considered for some people.
Saturday’s report from the health department contains 22 new deaths caused by COVID-19, including 12 men and 10 women. Nineteen took place before February 6th. Utah has reported 1,929 deaths due to the disease since the first occurred in April last year.
There are 223 people being treated with COVID-19 in hospitals across the state, with 89 in intensive care units. That is 19 fewer hospitalizations than the numbers from a week ago, and tens less than the record high hospitalizations reported at the end of 2020.
A total of 14,664 people in Utah have been hospitalized with COVID-19 since March last year.
COVID-19 deaths reported on Saturday include:
- Four women in Salt Lake County between the ages of 65 and 84 who were long-term care residents.
- An Emery County man between the ages of 65 and 84 who was hospitalized at the time of his death.
- A man aged 65 to 84 in Davis County who was not admitted to the hospital.
- A Salt Lake County man between the ages of 65 and 84 who was not admitted to the hospital.
- A 45- and 64-year-old man in Weber County who was a long-term resident.
- A Beaver County man over the age of 85 who was not admitted to the hospital.
- A Washington County man between 65 and 84 admitted to the hospital.
- A Salt Lake County man between the ages of 65 and 84 was admitted to the hospital.
- A Washington County man between the ages of 65 and 84 who was a long-term caregiver.
- A man aged 65 to 84 at Beaver County Hospital.
- A man in Utah County over the age of 85 who was a long-term resident.
- A Washington County man over 85 who was not admitted to the hospital.
- A man aged 65 and 84 in Weber County who was not admitted to the hospital.
- A woman between 65 and 84 in Utah County who was a long-term care resident.
- A woman from Cache County between the ages of 65 and 84 who was a long-term resident.
- A Washington County woman over 85 who was a long-term resident.
- A woman in Utah County between the ages of 65 and 84 who was admitted to the hospital.
- A woman between 65 and 84 in Salt Lake County who was not admitted to the hospital.
- A woman from Emery County over the age of 85 who was not admitted to the hospital.