(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Science teacher Robert Campos wipes down desks in his classroom as students return to Highland High School in Salt Lake City on Monday, February 8, 2021.
The number of new cases of COVID-19 remains low in Utah: 651 on Friday, the 13th day of the past two weeks, the number was below 1,000.
However, the state registered 17 new deaths from the virus, although eight of them occurred before February 5. Hospital admissions and patients in the intensive care unit were also released somewhat on Friday.
Vaccine doses administered in the last day / total doses administered • 22,092 / 682,536.
Number of Utahns that have received two doses • 239,877.
Cases reported in the past day • 651.
Deaths reported in the past day • 17; eight of these occurred before February 5.
• Nine from Salt Lake County: two men aged 45-64; a man and two women, each 65-84; two men and two women, each 85 years or older.
• Two Utah County residents: a man aged 85 or older and a woman aged 45-64.
• Two residents of Weber County: a man and a woman, each aged 85 or older.
• Two men, 45-64 years old – one from Iron County, one from Tooele County.
• A Uintah County woman aged 85 or older, and a Washington County man aged 65-84.
Hospital admissions reported in the past day • 231. That is 10 more than Thursday. Of those currently hospitalized, 94 are in intensive care – seven more than on Thursday.
Tests reported in the past day • 5,498 people were tested for the first time. A total of 15,599 people were tested.
Percentage of positive tests • According to the state’s original method, the rate is 11.8%. That is slightly lower than the seven-day average of 12.3%.
The new method counts all test results, including repeated tests from the same person. Friday’s rate is now at 4.2%, lower than the seven-day average of 5.6%.
Totals so far • 370,084 cases; 1,907 dead; 14,628 hospital admissions; 2,194,674 people tested; 3,781,119 tests performed.
Dr. Mark Briesacher, chief physician executive at Intermountain Healthcare, said Friday that he is pleased that a third vaccine, made by Johnson & Johnson, should be available in Utah next week.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Briesacher said during Intermountain’s weekly COVID-19 community briefing on Facebook Live, is 85% effective at preventing serious cases – cases that can lead to hospitalization or death. The federal Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve emergency use of the new vaccine on Saturday.
“Does it prevent serious and critical illnesses? Does it prevent deaths? The answer to those things is ‘yes’, ”said Briesacher.
“It’s going to be very good for Utah overall, because it’s a simpler vaccine” than the Pfizer or Moderna versions available now, Briesacher said. ‘It’s just a single dose. It is more easily stored. That gives us a lot of flexibility to focus on delivering this in an equitable way across the state. “
The prospect of three vaccines available for COVID-19 is a long way from February 28, 2020 – a year ago this Sunday – when Briesacher attended the first meeting of the state’s incident command, “ all focused on preparing to accept the former . [COVID-19] pasties in Utah, ”he said.
“It has been a difficult, challenging year,” said Briesacher. “We will all look back on this year and consider it some of the most challenging times, and some of the more rewarding times. … And yet we are in a great place where there is a lot of optimism about the future. “