Salt Lake County, five more to move to “moderate” transmission phase

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SALT LAKE CITY – Nearly a year after COVID-19 first arrived in Utah, six counties in the state, including the most populous state, Salt Lake County, will move to the “moderate” transmission phase of the virus, it said Thursday KSL NewsRadio.

Counties in the “moderate” transmission phase have no collection restrictions, as long as people wear masks.

Listen live: Governor Cox, health officials hold weekly press conference

During a weekly press conference, state government and health officials announced a reduction in age requirements and an expansion of health conditions that qualify for vaccinations.

Governor Spencer Cox announced that Salt Lake, Cache, Davis, Grand, Sanpete and Wasatch counties will move from “high” to “moderate” transmission levels in the state’s virus response plan. However, he took the time to observe all the Utahs lost so far by COVID-19.

“Even though we’ve seen phenomenal progress in our metrics, I just want to take a minute to remember that we lost almost 2,000 Utahns to this insidious disease,” Cox said. “Those 2,000 people are truly human, and for those families this is real and tragic.”

Transmission levels are changing in Salt Lake, Davis and other counties

The Utah Department of Health uses a graded transmission index to determine when locations such as Salt Lake County and the other five counties mentioned by the governor can ease COVID-19 restrictions.

Within the system, a county has a high level of transmission when its average positive percentage of 7 days is greater than or equal to 10%, the rate of its cases of 14 days increases over 325 people per 100,000 inhabitants, the total amount of use of the ICU reaches 72% or more, and the number of ICU beds used for COVID-19 specifically exceeds 15%.

“There are no restrictions on moderate meetings [counties]”Cox said. “It’s incredible news, as long as people are wearing masks.”

That means you could sit side by side with someone at a basketball game or a movie theater, as long as your masks are in place.

At moderate levels of virus transmission, state guidelines allow residents to gather staff without limits on the size of events, as long as people wear masks.

In addition to Salt Lake, Cache, Davis, Grand, Sanpete and Wasatch counties, Box Elder, Duchesne, Juab, Morgan, San Juan, Washington and Weber counties are now in the moderate transmission category.

“2.2 million Utahns now live in moderate transmission areas,” Cox said.

Only five counties in Utah, Daggett, Millard, Piute, Rich and Wayne, are considered to be low-transmission areas for COVID-19. The rest of the counties in the state continue to be considered “high” transmission areas.

Cases continue to fall

On Thursday, the Utah Department of Health reported 611 new cases of COVID-19 in the state out of 7,286 people tested. The national average of 7 days of the percentage of positivity of “people over people” is 10.0%, and the average of 7 days of the percentage of positivity of “tests over tests” is 4.8%.

State health officials reported 203 people currently hospitalized with COVID-19. Another 12 people died of COVID-19, for a total of 1,965; however, two previously recorded deaths were eliminated from the totals and attributed to other causes, and seven of the 12 reported today occurred before February 11, 2021.

This story will be updated.

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Contributing: Kira Hoffelmeyer

How to prevent COVID-19 Coronavirus from spreading

COVID-19 coronavirus is spread from person to person, similar to the common cold and flu. So to prevent the spread:

  • Wash your hands thoroughly and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
  • Don’t touch your face.
  • Wear a mask to protect yourself and others according to CDC recommendations.
  • Keep children and those with compromised immune systems away from someone who coughs or sneezes (in this case, at least 6 feet).
  • If there is an outbreak near you, practice social distancing (stay home instead of going to movies, sporting events, or other activities).
  • Get a flu shot.

Local resources

Questions and Answers KSL Coronavirus

Utah coronavirus information

Utah State Board of Education

Utah Hospital Association

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Utah Coronavirus Information Line – 1-800-456-7707

National resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Frequently Asked Questions, World Health Organization

Cases in the United States

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