SALT LAKE CITY – According to the Utah Department of Health, COVID-19 cases in Utah are up 1,716 on Monday, with five more deaths.
The moving seven-day average number of positive cases per day is now 1,969, according to the health department. The positive test rate per day for that period is now 24.4%.
On Monday, state officials also announced that Utahns aged 75 and older could be getting the COVID-19 vaccine as early as mid-February as part of Phase 2 of Utah’s plan to distribute the vaccine.
New COVID-19 cases
The state now estimates that there are 49,129 active cases of COVID-19 in Utah. The new figures indicate an increase of 0.6% in positive cases since Sunday. Of the 1,698,105 people tested for COVID-19 to date in Utah, 15.7% tested positive for COVID-19. As of Monday, another 4,976 new people were tested for the disease, and a total of a further 7,082 tests were conducted, state data shows.
According to the health department, 498 COVID-19 patients are currently hospitalized in Utah. Of these, 168 occupy beds in intensive care units across the country. According to state data, about 79% of all IC beds in the state are filled, including about 83% of all IC beds in Utah’s 16 referral hospitals. About 43% of the non-IC hospital beds are occupied from Monday.
As of Monday, a total of 17,543 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, against 16,992 doses administered Sunday.
The five deaths reported Monday were:
- A Salt Lake County woman over the age of 85 living in a long-term care facility
- A Utah County woman who was between the ages of 45 and 64 and was hospitalized when she died
- A Davis County woman who was between the ages of 45 and 64 and lived in a long-term care facility
- A Duchesne County man who was aged between 65 and 84 and was hospitalized when he died
- A Washington County woman over the age of 85 living in a long-term care facility
Monday’s totals give Utah a total of 266,590 confirmed cases, with 10,643 total hospitalizations and 1,219 total deaths from the disease. According to the health department, a total of 216,242 Utah COVID-19 cases are now being recovered.
Plans for vaccine phase 2 announced
The Utah Department of Health announced details Monday for Phase 2 delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is expected to start in February. According to a press release, Utah’s COVID-19 Unified Command group has adopted the health department’s recommendations for the second stage of vaccine at the behest of Governor Gary Herbert.
“We have seen older adults carry the heaviest burden of disease in our state and across the country,” Interim Health Department Director Rich Saunders said in the press release. “These individuals are much more likely to be hospitalized, require intensive care and die from COVID-19. Ensuring that these members of our community get the vaccine as early as possible will save lives and save lives. the burden on our hospitals will be reduced. “
Phase 1 of the vaccine distribution plan started earlier this month. Primary health care workers, residents and staff of long-term care facilities, as well as public and tribal health workers, are now being vaccinated in accordance with the plan.
K-12 teachers and first responders will be the next groups to receive the vaccine, likely in late January, the press release said.
People over the age of 65 are much more likely to have serious effects from COVID-19. In Utah, 77% of all deaths from the disease to date have been in people over 65, the release said.
“As we enter Phase 2 of our vaccination program, it simply makes the most sense to first vaccinate those most at risk of hospitalization and death,” Herbert said. “We will continue to refine our plans and proceed on the principle that those who will suffer the most should be vaccinated first.”
Other groups that will receive the vaccine in phase 2 have not been announced, according to the health department; Utahns is likely to be further prioritized by age groups, the publication said.
Utahns with underlying medical conditions and who live in certain “congregate settings” can also be vaccinated in phase 2, the release said. The health department no longer takes employment status or the type of work into account when prioritizing groups for the vaccine.
“Focusing on age will do more to reduce infections and ease hospital admissions than any other category as we continue to administer vaccinations,” Gov.-elect Spencer Cox said in the release. “I am a big believer in this change and know it will save lives.”
When phase 2 begins, people will receive the vaccine in mass vaccination clinics at local health departments. Later in phase 2, the vaccines will be distributed through local pharmacies and primary care providers, the release said.
Further details of Phase 2, such as how vaccine clinics will verify the age of people seeking the vaccines, have yet to be determined. More information about Utah’s vaccination plans is available at coronavirus.utah.gov/vaccine.
There is no press conference on COVID-19 on the program on Monday. Utah officials typically provide updates at news conferences once a week on Wednesdays or Thursdays.
Methodology:
The test results now include data from PCR tests and antigen tests. Positive COVID-19 test results will be reported to the health department immediately upon confirmation, but negative test results may not be reported for 24 to 72 hours.
The total number of cases reported by the Utah Department of Health each day includes all cases of COVID-19 since the Utah outbreak began, including those currently infected, those who have recovered from the disease, and those who have died .
Recovered cases are defined as anyone who was diagnosed with COVID-19 three or more weeks ago and has not died.
Referral hospitals are the 16 hospitals in Utah that can provide the best COVID-19 healthcare.
Deaths reported by the state usually occurred two to seven days before reporting, according to the health department. Some deaths can be even further back, especially if the person is from Utah but died in another state.
The health department reports both confirmed and probable deaths from COVID-19 according to the case definition outlined by the Council of State and territorial epidemiologists. Death rates are subject to change as the investigation of the case is completed.
For deaths reported as COVID-19 deaths, the person would not have died if they had not had COVID-19, according to the health department.
The data in this story primarily reflects the state of Utah as a whole. Visit your local health district website for more localized information.
More information about Utah’s health guidelines is available at coronavirus.utah.gov/utah-health-guidance-levels.
Information is from the Utah Department of Health and coronavirus.utah.gov/case-counts. For more information on how the Utah Department of Health collects and reports COVID-19 data, visit coronavirus.utah.gov/case-counts and scroll down to the “Data Notes” section at the bottom of the page.
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Jacob Klopfenstein