SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Government Spencer Cox announced on Thursday that the state is expanding the number of Utahns eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
As of Monday, March 8, the following groups are eligible to make appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine:
- All residents aged 50 and over
- 16 years of age and older with certain underlying health conditions
- Anyone with type I or II diabetes
- Anyone obese with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher
- Anyone with chronic kidney disease
This is the largest group – 600,000 to 700,000 people – that the state has enlarged to qualify. The group also includes anyone with a risk factor greater than 1 – basically anyone most vulnerable to COVID-19.
Cox said if vaccine distribution continues its current trajectory, all Utahns will be able to receive the vaccine by April.
Vaccine updates
Currently, at least 75% of Utahns ages 75 and older have received at least their first dose of the vaccine, and 52% of Utahns ages 65-69 have also received at least one vaccination shot, 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 the first vaccinations are expected to take place Thursday.
Cox said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a game changer.
“It gets the job done in one go,” said Cox. “And that’s so important to many in our population.”
In addition, Cox said he has been encouraged by a recent survey indicating that 78% of Utahns are willing to receive one of three authorized vaccines.
“The best vaccine for you is the one you can get first,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn.
Last week, the state administered 660,444 doses of the vaccine, which is an increase of 125,079 doses from the previous week.
To date, Utah has administered 785,523 doses.
Roadmap for vaccination
Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson announced that the state has established a vaccination roadmap for Utahns in marginalized communities, such as the homeless population of Utah and rural areas.
A look at the coronavirus numbers
The state reported 611 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. As of Wednesday, 7,286 more people have been tested for COVID-19.
The seven-day moving average for the percentage of positivity of ‘people over people’ is 10.0%, with an average of 558 positive cases per day.
Currently, 203 residents are hospitalized for COVID-19 complications, and 87 people are admitted to intensive care units. The total number of hospital admissions since the outbreak amounts to a total of 14,816.
Another 12 Utahns died from COVID-19 on Thursday. Seven of the 12 deaths occurred before Feb. 11. In addition, two previously reported deaths were withdrawn on Feb. 23.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, 1,965 Utahns have died of the virus.