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SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced Thursday that the state is increasing 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 aged 50 and over
- 16 years and 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 more
- Anyone with chronic kidney disease
This is the largest group – 600,000 to 700,000 people – that the state has added to its eligibility. The group also includes all people who have a risk factor greater than 1 – essentially all people most vulnerable to COVID-19.
Cox said if vaccine distribution 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 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 vaccine doses are on the way. Cox announced that the state has received 23,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and that the first vaccinations are expected to take place on Thursday.
Cox said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a game-changer.
“It does the job in one fell swoop,” Cox said. “And this is so critical for many of our population.”
Additionally, Cox said he was encouraged by a recent survey indicating that 78% of Utahns were ready to receive one of three licensed 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 the vaccine, an increase of 125,079 doses from the previous week.
To date, Utah has administered 785,523 doses.
Immunization roadmap
Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson announced that the state has created an immunization roadmap for Utahns in marginalized communities, such as the homeless in Utah and rural areas.
A look at the coronavirus figures
The state reported 611 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. As of Wednesday, an additional 7,286 people have been tested for COVID-19.
The 7-day moving average of the percentage of “people-to-people” positivity is 10.0%, with an average of 558 positive cases per day.
Currently, 203 residents are hospitalized with 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.
12 more Utahns died from COVID-19 on Thursday. Seven of the 12 deaths occurred before February 11. In addition, two deaths previously reported on February 23 have been retracted.
Since the start of the pandemic, 1,965 Utahns have died from the virus.
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