First, the state needs more than 1 million additional first doses of the vaccine. Then, requirements will begin to increase in counties with low rates of virus transmission.
(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Karen Johnson, a grieving counselor at the Jordan Family Education Center, receives her second covid-19 vaccination on Friday. Jordan School District officials were invited to West Hills Middle School to receive their coronavirus vaccination on February 12, 2021.
For the 10th time in 11 days, Utah reported less than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday – a total of 716.
First, 1,633,000 first doses of COVID-19 vaccines must have been allocated to the state. So far, the federal government has allocated 444,905 to Utah.
Eight weeks after that, masks will not be needed in counties designated as having a “low” level of virus transmission.
This week, only five rural counties in Utah – Daggett, Garfield, Piute, Rich and Wayne – are in the low transmission category
Health officials have also reported a dozen new deaths, although seven of them occurred before February 1 and have only recently been confirmed to be related to the coronavirus.
Vaccinations reported the day before / total vaccinations • 11,966 / 623,876.
Number of Utahns who received two doses • 213,278.
Cases reported the previous day • 716.
Deaths reported the day before • 12
Salt Lake County reported four deaths – two men and a woman aged 65 to 84 and a woman over 85.
There were two deaths in Davis County – a man aged 45 to 64 and a woman aged 65 to 84.
And two deaths in Sevier County – both women over 85.
Four counties reported a single death – a 65-84 year old woman in Cache County, a 65-84 man in Utah County, a 65-84 man in Washington County and a 65-84 man in Washington County. Weber.
Hospitalizations reported the previous day • 239. That means two more since Monday. Of those currently hospitalized, 95 are in intensive care units – four fewer than on Monday.
Tests reported the day before • 6,458 people were tested for the first time. A total of 18,480 people were tested.
Percentage of positive tests • In the original state method, the rate is 11.1%. This is less than the 13.3% seven-day average.
His new method counts all test results, including repeated tests from the same individual. Tuesday’s rate is now 3.9%, lower than the 6.2% seven-day average.
Totals to date • 367,789 cases; 1,865 deaths; 14,520 hospitalizations; 2,172,963 people tested.
The state’s updated public health order also specifies how students can get tested for coronavirus to stay in school or participate in high school extracurricular activities.
The renewed order provides guidelines for school districts to implement “test to stay” protocols when a school has an outbreak; students can choose to switch to remote education or continue with face-to-face classes if they get a negative COVID-19 test. The application also includes rules for “test to play”, whereby high school students can participate in unique extracurricular events – for example, graduation – if they take the test two weeks in advance.
In addition, rules for bars and public meetings are being relaxed in counties with moderate levels of transmission. Bars in these counties no longer need to limit occupancy to 75%, but must ensure that customers wear masks when they are less than 2 meters from a separate party.
People at public gatherings – including cinemas, sporting events, weddings, and recreational and entertainment activities – in moderately transmitted counties can sit side by side if they are wearing masks, have no symptoms of COVID, and are not subject to quarantine or isolation. If someone’s test at the event is positive, the event organizers should be able to contact those who have been in close contact with that person.
As of Tuesday, only eight counties in Utah – Box Elder, Carbon, Duchesne, Millard, Morgan, San Juan, Uintah and Weber – are in the moderate zone.
Sixteen Utah counties remain in the high-transmission category; they include most of the state’s major population centers in Salt Lake, Utah, Davis, Washington and Cache counties.
Rich Saunders, the executive director of the Utah Department of Health, signed the renewed order Monday night. It is valid until March 25th.