SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced the expansion of eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine starting next month.
On March 1, eligibility for the vaccine will be expanded to Utahns aged 65 and over, as well as to any resident of the state who has certain comorbidities, but not all comorbidities, said Cox.
“We are trying to be more viral than the virus, and this is happening,” said Cox.
All information on expanding eligibility is available at coronavirus.utah.gov. Cox emphasized that Thursday is just an announcement about expanding eligibility – these people will still not be able to make an appointment to receive the vaccine and should not contact the local health department, he added.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Utah increased by 1,273 on Thursday, with an additional 14 deaths reported, according to the Utah Department of Health.
The average number of positive cases per day over seven days is now 1,264, according to the health department. The positive test rate per day for that period is now 16.5%.
There are now 365 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Utah, state data show. 362,701 vaccines have already been administered in the state, compared to 345,179 on Wednesday.
Thursday’s total gives Utah 351,273 confirmed cases, with 13,697 hospitalizations and 1,711 deaths from the disease.
Cox and other state leaders are providing an update to the COVID-19 pandemic at a news conference on Thursday morning. The event is being broadcast live below.
This story will be updated.
Jacob Klopfenstein