SALT LAKE CITY – The Uten government, Spencer Cox, announced on Thursday that state residents 16 years and older who have certain medical conditions are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Previously, the election date on March 1 would be expected for Utahns with comorbidities, but Cox said these persons are eligible immediately. The full list of comorbidities that make people eligible for the vaccine is available at coronavirus.utah.gov/vaccine-distribution/#eligibility.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has approved the Pfizer vaccine for people aged 16 and 17 only, Cox said. If people in that age group want to get the vaccine, they should plan an appointment at a vaccination center that supplies the Pfizer vaccine, the governor added. Not all vaccine clinics have the Pfizer vaccine, and a list of clinics that have it is provided at coronavirus.utah.gov/vaccine.
Cox also announced Thursday that people who want the vaccine will no longer have to wait to make an appointment in their country. If you can find an appointment in another country, you can now make an appointment there. However, you must make your appointment for the second dose of vaccine in the same country where you made the appointment for the first dose, Cox said.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox delivers an update on the COVID-19 pandemic at a news conference. The event, which started at 11:00, is streamed live here. The state epidemiologist of Utah, dr. Angela Dunn, will also speak at the news conference.
New cases COVID-19
On Thursday, Utah’s COVID-19 cases increased by 832, with another 11 deaths, according to the Utah Department of Health.
Four of the deaths occurred last month but are still being investigated by the state medical examiner’s office, the health department said. The state also reported 18,563 more vaccinations this morning.
According to the Department of Health, the average number of positive cases per day of seven days is now at 723. The positive test rate per day for the period reported using the “people over people” method is now 12.4%. The positive test rate per day of seven days, calculated using the ‘test over test’ method, is now 5.7%.
There are 221 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, according to state data. A total of 660,444 vaccines were administered in the state, compared to 641,881 on Wednesday.
This story will be updated.
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