SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Governor Spencer Cox has announced an extension of eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine starting next month.
On March 1, vaccine eligibility will be extended to Utahns age 65 and older, as well as any state residents who have certain comorbidities, but not all comorbidities, Cox said.
“We’re trying to be more viral than the virus, and it’s happening,” Cox said.
All information about extending eligibility is available at coronavirus.utah.gov. Cox stressed that Thursday is just an announcement about expanding eligibility – those people will not be able to make appointments yet to receive the vaccine and should not contact the local health department, he added.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Utah rose 1,273 on Thursday, with another 14 deaths reported, according to the Utah Department of Health.
The average continuous number of seven positive days a day is now at 1,264, according to the health department. The positive daily test rate for that time period is now 16.5%.
There are now 365 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, state data show. A total of 362,701 vaccines were administered in the state, up from 345,179 on Wednesday.
Thursday’s total offers Utah 351,273 confirmed cases in total, with 13,697 total hospitalizations and 1,711 total deaths from the disease.
Cox and other state leaders offered an update on the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday morning. The event is broadcast live below.
This story will be updated.
Jacob Klopfenstein