SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced on Thursday that the state is expanding the number of Utahns who are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
As of Monday, March 8, the following groups will be eligible to make appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine:
- All residents 50 years of age or older
- 16 years or older 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 – that the state has increased its eligibility for. The group also includes all people who have a risk factor above 1 – basically all people 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 it until April.
Vaccine updates
Currently, at least 75% of Utahns aged 75 or older have received at least their first dose of the vaccine, and 52% of Utahns aged 65 to 69 have also received at least one vaccine, Cox said.
More doses of vaccine are on the way. Cox announced that the state has sent 23,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and the first vaccinations are scheduled to take place on Thursday.
Cox said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a game changer.
“It does the job at once,” said Cox. “And that is so critical for many in our population.”
In addition, Cox said he is encouraged by a recent survey indicating that 78% of Utahns are willing to receive one of three authorized vaccines.
“The best vaccine for you is the one you can get first,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn.
Last week, the state administered 660,444 doses of the vaccine, which represents an increase of 125,079 doses over the previous week.
To date, Utah has administered 785,523 doses.
Vaccination guide
Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson announced that the state has created a vaccination roadmap for Utahns in marginalized communities, such as Utah’s homeless population and rural areas.
A look at the coronavirus numbers
The state reported 611 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. Since Wednesday, a further 7,286 people have been tested for COVID-19.
The continuous average of 7 days for the percentage of positivity of “people over people” is 10.0%, with an average of 558 positive cases per day.
Currently, 203 residents are hospitalized due to complications from COVID-19, and 87 people have been admitted to intensive care units. The total number of hospitalizations since the outbreak is 14,816.
Another 12 Utahns died of COVID-19 on Thursday. Seven of the 12 deaths occurred before February 11. In addition, two deaths previously reported on February 23 have been withdrawn.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 1,965 Utahns have died from the virus.