SALT LAKE CITY – The number of COVID-19 cases in Utah rose by 2,614 on Wednesday, with 21 more deaths, according to an update from the Utah Department of Health.
The new COVID-19 case numbers indicate a 1% increase in positive cases since Tuesday. The rolling seven-day average number of positive cases per day is now 2,033, according to the health department. The positive test rate per day for that period is now 25%. There are now 484 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, state data shows.
Of the 21 new deaths, nine were from Salt Lake County and five from Utah County, but the department reported new deaths statewide. The full list provided by the department was:
- A Davis County man aged between 45 and 64 and hospitalized at the time of death
- A Davis County woman and long-term care facility older than 85
- A Salt Lake County man aged 65 to 84 who was not hospitalized at the time of death
- A Salt Lake County man aged between 65 and 84 and hospitalized at the time of death
- A Salt Lake County man aged between 65 and 84 and hospitalized at the time of death
- A Salt Lake County man and long-term care facility older than 85
- A Salt Lake County man and long-term care facility older than 85
- A Salt Lake County woman over 85 and hospitalized at the time of death
- A Salt Lake County man aged between 65 and 84 and hospitalized at the time of death
- A Salt Lake County man aged 65 to 84 who was not hospitalized at the time of death
- A Salt Lake County woman and long-term care facility between the ages of 45 and 64
- A Sanpete County man and long-term care facility who is between the ages of 65 and 84
- A Sanpete County man aged 65 to 84 and hospitalized at the time of death
- A man in Uintah County aged between 65 and 84 and hospitalized at the time of death
- A Utah County man aged 65 to 84 and hospitalized at the time of death
- A Utah County man and long-term care facility older than 85
- A Utah County man and long-term care facility between the ages of 65 and 84
- A Utah County woman and a long-term care facility over the age of 85
- A Utah County man aged 65 to 84 and hospitalized at the time of death
- A Washington County man and long-term care facility between the ages of 65 and 84
- A Weber County man over 85 years old and hospitalized at the time of death
Utah now has 271,940 confirmed cases, with 10,873 total hospitalizations and 1,256 total deaths from the disease since March after Wednesday’s totals
Vaccinations ‘pick up steam’
According to the health department, a total of 23,970 Utahns have now been vaccinated against COVID-19. Rich Lakin, immunization program manager for the Utah Department of Health, said on Wednesday that vaccinations are now accelerating and that about 6,500 people have been vaccinated in the past two days, representing about a quarter of all vaccinations since the trial began on Dec. 15.
“The initial introduction of the vaccine has been slow – slower than we expected and really slower than we wanted – but we’re getting some steam,” he said.
The state also reported on Wednesday that more than 125,000 total vaccine doses have been shipped or approved for shipment to Utah. The health department has no figure on how many of those doses came in.
At an informal briefing with media members Wednesday, Lakin said there is a delay in the data. He said there is usually a delay of at least two days between the doses sent and the doses received. There is also a 24-hour delay when doses are administered and when it appears on the health department website.
Local health departments have begun to vaccinate non-hospital workers such as emergency medical workers, while Walgreens, CFS and community nurses have begun vaccinating workers and residents of long-term care facilities. The latter is the result of a federal partnership with drugstores to roll out vaccines to long-term care facilities, but is still reflected in state delivery data, Lakin explained. That’s in addition to hospitals vaccinating frontline workers, which kick-started the vaccination process.
Vaccines are also administered two weeks apart. Lakin added that the state has ordered the second round of vaccination for people who have received their first round of vaccination. The second round of doses for those already vaccinated will begin next week and will be counted in a separate statistic from the health department.
Why does the state vaccine expect timeline delays
Still, vaccinations are lagging what state officials had initially hoped for by the end of the year, even as the process gets underway. There were expected to be 154,000 doses in the state by the end of 2020. Earlier this month, federal officials apologized for a “miscommunication” about the number of vaccine doses states would receive in the first few weeks. Many states, including Utah, were left with less than expected doses.
Lakin said this miscommunication will likely change timelines to complete vaccination rounds for groups such as health professionals. It also means likely delays for vaccination-listed groups such as teachers.
“Because we have less vaccine, it pushes back the timeline a bit,” he said.
After the groups are vaccinated, first responders and teachers will follow, whom Lakin said he hopes the state can join by the end of January. Ultimately, that’s the number of doses the state receives from the federal government for that to happen. If the rollout at the federal level continues to be slower than expected, it will likely push back Utah’s timeline.
“If we don’t have enough vaccine, we can’t move through the populations we would like because we can’t deliver enough vaccines to our local health departments because the rate at which they vaccinate is currently higher than the amount of vaccine that we get them “said Lakin.” So you can see why that might cause some delay. “
Carter Williams