SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced Thursday that the state is expanding the number of Utahns who are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Starting Monday, March 8, the following groups will be eligible to make appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine:
- All residents aged 50 and over
- 16 years and over, 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
This is the largest group – 600,000 to 700,000 people – the state has added its eligibility. The group also includes all those with a risk factor above 1 – virtually all those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19.
Cox said that if the distribution of the vaccine continues on its current trajectory, all Utahns will be able to receive the vaccine by April.
Vaccine updates
Currently, at least 75% of Utahns aged 75 and over have received at least the first dose of vaccine, and 52% of Utahns aged 65-69 have also received at least one vaccine. said Cox.
Several doses of vaccine are on the way. Cox said 23,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been delivered to the state, and the first vaccinations are expected to take place on Thursday.
Cox said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is changing the game.
“It’s all done in one fell swoop,” Cox said. “And this is so critical for many of our population.”
In addition, Cox said he is encouraged by a recent survey that indicates that 78% of Utahns are willing to receive one of three authorized vaccines.
“The best vaccine for you is the vaccine you can get first,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn.
Last week, the state administered 660,444 doses of vaccine, which is an increase of 125,079 doses over the previous week.
To date, Utah has administered 785,523 doses.
Roadmap for vaccination
Lt. Government Deidre Henderson announced that the state has created a vaccination roadmap for Utahns in marginalized communities, such as the homeless in Utah and rural areas.
A look at coronavirus numbers
The state reported 611 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. As of Wednesday, another 7,286 people have been tested for COVID-19.
The average of 7 days for the percentage positivity of “people over 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 totals 14,816.
Another 12 Utahs have died from COVID-19 since Thursday. Seven of the 12 deaths occurred before February 11. In addition, two previously reported deaths on February 23 were retracted.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 1,965 Utahns have died from the virus.