(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Science teacher Robert Campos wipes desks in his classroom as students return to Highland High School in Salt Lake City on Monday, February 8, 2021.
The number of new cases of COVID-19 remains low in Utah – 651 on Friday, the 13th day in the past two weeks, the number was below 1,000.
However, the state recorded 17 new deaths due to the virus, although eight of them occurred before February 5th. Hospitalizations and patients with intensive care units also increased slightly on Friday.
Vaccine doses administered in the past day / total doses administered • 22,092 / 682,536.
Number of Utahns receiving two doses • 239 877.
Cases reported in the past day • 651.
Deaths reported in the past day • 17; eight of these happened before February 5th.
• Nine from Salt Lake County: two men between 45 and 64; a man and two women, each 65-84; two men and two women, each 85 or older.
• Two Utah County residents: a man 85 years and older, and a woman 45-64 years old.
• Two Weber County residents: a man and a woman, each 85 years or older.
• Two men, 45-64 – one from Iron County, one from Tooele County.
• a Uintah County woman 85 years and older, and a Washington man 65-84.
Hospitalizations reported in the past day • 231. It’s 10 from Thursday. Of those currently admitted to the hospital, 94 are in intensive care units – seven more than Thursday.
Tests reported in the past day • 5,498 people were tested for the first time. A total of 15,599 people were tested.
Percentage of positive tests • According to the state’s original method, the rate is 11.8%. This is slightly lower than the seven-day average of 12.3%.
His new method counts all test results, including repeated tests of the same individual. Friday’s rate is now at 4.2%, lower than the seven – day average of 5.6%.
Total to date • 370,084 cases; 1,907 deaths; 14,628 hospitalizations; 2,194,674 people were tested; 3,781,119 tests performed.
Dr. Mark Briesacher, CEO of Intermountain Healthcare, said Friday he is excited that a third vaccine, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, will be available in Utah as early as next week.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Briesacher said during Intermountain’s weekly COVID-19 information session on Facebook Live, is 85% effective in preventing serious cases – cases that could lead to hospitalization or death. The federal Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve the use of the new vaccine as well as Saturday.
‘Does it prevent serious and critical illnesses? Does it prevent deaths? The answer to those things is ‘yes’, “said Briesacher.
“It’s going to be very good for Utah overall, because it’s a simpler vaccine,” than the Pfizer or Moderna versions that are available now, Briesacher said. ‘It’s only a single dose. It is easier to store. It gives us a lot of flexibility to focus on delivering it fairly across the state. ”
The prospect of three vaccines being available for COVID-19 is far from 28 February 2020 – a year ago this Sunday – when Briesacher attended the first meeting of the state’s incident order, ‘all focused on preparing to accept the first [COVID-19] patties in Utah, ”he said.
“It has been a difficult, challenging year,” Briesacher said. ‘We’re all going to look back on this year and consider it the hardest times and the more rewarding times. … And yet we find ourselves in a wonderful place where there is a lot of optimism about the future. ”