The number of new cases soars to more than 600, and two more Utahns have died of the virus.
(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) First lady Abby Cox and Governor Spencer Cox receive their first COVID-19 vaccine from the Utah County Health Department in Spanish Fork, March 25, 2021.
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According to the Utah Department of Health, more than a million Utahns have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine – about 44% of the eligible population over the age of 16.
The total number at Tuesday’s end – 1,013,308 – represents about 30% of Utah’s total population. Nearly 600,000 Utahns are fully vaccinated (with either single dose dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the Johnson & Johnson vaccine) – that’s about 26% of Utahns eligible for the vaccine, and about 18% of the total population, according to US Census estimates.
“This is a milestone worth celebrating and we hope this number will continue to rise as more and more Utahns choose to be vaccinated,” Utah Governor Spencer Cox said in a statement. “The speed at which we have been able to vaccinate Utahns is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Utah public health system and our national vaccination partners.”
UDOH also reported that the number of new cases of COVID-19 fell to more than 600, with two more deaths.
Vaccine Doses Administered Over the Last Day / Total Doses Administered • 34,814 / 1,561,167.
Utahns fully vaccinated • 599,972.
Cases reported in the past day • 612.
Deaths reported in the past day • Two – a man aged 45-64 in Salt Lake County, and a man 65-84 in Washington County.
Tests reported in the past day • 7,246 people were first tested. A total of 18,522 people were tested.
Hospital admissions reported in the past day • 149. That is 10 more than Tuesday. Of those currently hospitalized, 55 are in intensive care units – seven more than on Tuesday.
Percentage of positive tests • According to the state’s original method, the rate is 8.4%. That is higher than the seven-day average of 7.2%.
The state’s new method counts all test results, including repeated tests from the same person. Wednesday’s rate was 3.3%, about the same as the seven-day average of 3.5%.
[Read more: Utah is changing how it measures the rate of positive COVID-19 tests. Here’s what that means.]
Totals so far • 388,426 cases; 2,139 dead; 15,675 hospital admissions; 2,424,457 people tested.
This story is under development and will be updated.