SALT LAKE CITY – The Uten government, Spencer Cox, announced Thursday that the state is expanding the number of Utahs eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
From Monday 8 March, the following groups will be eligible to make appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine:
- All residents 50 years and older
- 16 years and older with certain underlying health conditions
- Anyone with type I or II diabetes
- Anyone who is obese and has a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or higher
- Anyone with chronic kidney disease
It is the largest group – 600 to 700 000 people – that the state has contributed to its suitability. The group also includes all those who have a risk factor above 1 – basically all those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19.
Cox said if the distribution of vaccines continues on its current track, all Utahns will be able to receive the vaccine by April.
Vaccine Updates
Currently, at least 75% of Utahns 75 years and older received at least their first dose of the vaccine, and 52% of Utahns between the ages of 65-69 also received at least one vaccine shot, Cox said.
More doses of vaccination are on the way. Cox has announced that the state has sent 23,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and the first vaccinations are expected to take place Thursday.
Cox said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a game changer.
“It gets the job done in one go,” Cox said. “And it’s so important to a lot of people in our population.”
In addition, Cox said he is encouraged by a recent survey indicating that 78% of Utahns are willing to get one of the three authorized vaccines.
“The best vaccine for you is the vaccine you can get first,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn said.
Last week, the state administered 660,444 doses of the vaccine, an increase of 125,079 doses from the previous week.
To date, Utah has administered 785,523 doses.
Vaccination roadmap
Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson announced that the state has created a vaccination roadmap for Utahns in marginalized communities, such as the homeless population of Utah and rural areas.
A look at the coronavirus numbers
The state reported 611 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. Since Wednesday, 7,286 more people have been tested for COVID-19.
The running average of 7 days for percentage positivity of “people above people” is 10.0%, with an average of 558 positive cases per day.
Currently, 203 residents are hospitalized due to COVID-19 complications, and 87 people have been admitted to intensive care units. The total number of hospitalizations since the outbreak is 14,816.
Another twelve Utahns died of COVID-19 as of Thursday. Seven of the 12 deaths occurred before February 11th. In addition, two deaths previously reported were withdrawn on 23 February.
Since the onset of the pandemic, 1,965 Utahns have died from the virus.