SALT LAKE CITY – The number of COVID-19 cases in Utah rose Wednesday by 2,614, with 21 more deaths reported, according to an update from the Utah Department of Health.
New COVID-19 case figures indicate a 1% increase in positive cases since Tuesday. According to the health department, the average number of positive cases per seven-day day is 2,033. The percentage of positive tests per day for this time period is now 25%. There are now 484 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, according to state data.
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 between the ages of 45 and 64 and hospitalized at the time of his death
- A woman from the Davis Center and a long-term care center resident over 85 years old
- A Salt Lake County man between the ages of 65 and 84 who was not hospitalized at the time of death
- A Salt Lake County man between the ages of 65 and 84 and hospitalized at the time of death
- A Salt Lake County man between the ages of 65 and 84 and hospitalized at the time of death
- A Salt Lake County man and a long-term care center resident over 85 years old
- A Salt Lake County man and a long-term care center resident over 85 years old
- A Salt Lake County woman over 85 and hospitalized at the time of death
- A Salt Lake County man between the ages of 65 and 84 and hospitalized at the time of death
- A Salt Lake County man between the ages of 65 and 84 who was not hospitalized at the time of death
- A woman and a long-term care center in Salt Lake County living between the ages of 45 and 64
- A man from Sanpete County and a long-term care center resident between the ages of 65 and 84
- A man from Sanpete County between the ages of 65 and 84 and hospitalized at the time of his death
- A Uintah County man between the ages of 65 and 84 and hospitalized at the time of his death
- A Utah County man between the ages of 65 and 84 and hospitalized at the time of his death
- A Utah County man and a long-term care center resident over 85 years old
- A Utah County man and a long-term caregiver residing between the ages of 65 and 84
- A woman and a long-term care center in Utah County who is over 85 years old
- A Utah County man between the ages of 65 and 84 and hospitalized at the time of his death
- Man from downtown and long-term care in Washington County resident between the ages of 65 and 84
- A Weber County man over 85 and hospitalized at the time of death
Utah now has 271,940 confirmed cases in total, with 10,873 total hospitalizations and 1,256 total illness deaths since March following Wednesday’s total
Vaccines “catch steam”
According to the health department, a total of 23,970 Utahns have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Rich Lakin, the Utah Department of Health’s immunization program manager, said Wednesday that vaccinations are picking up now and that about 6,500 people have been vaccinated in the past two days, accounting for about a quarter of all vaccinations. since the process began on December 15th.
“The initial release of the vaccine has been slow, slower than we had anticipated and really slower than we wanted, but we’re taking some steam,” he said.
The state also reported Wednesday that more than 125,000 total doses of vaccine have been shipped or have been approved to be shipped to Utah. The health department has no figure on how many of those doses have arrived.
During an informal briefing with members of the media on Wednesday, Lakin said there was 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 are also up to 24 hours of delay when doses are administered and when they appear on the health department website.
Local health departments have begun vaccinating non-hospital health workers as emergency medical technicians, while Walgreens, CVS and community nursing services have begun vaccinating long-term care facility employees and residents. time limit. The latter is the result of a federal partnership with pharmacies to deploy vaccines to long-term care centers, but it is still represented in state supply data, Lakin explained. At the top of the hospitals that vaccinate front-line workers, who started the vaccination process.
Vaccines are also given in separate doses for weeks. Lakin added that the state has ordered its second round of vaccination doses for people who have received their first round of vaccination. The second round of dosing for those who are already vaccinated will begin next week and will be counted in a separate statistic from the health department.
Why does the state vaccine expect timing delays?
Still, vaccinations are behind what state officials had originally expected by the end of the year, even if the process is gaining strength. There were expected to be 154,000 doses in the state by the end of 2020. Earlier this month, federal officials apologized for “poor communication” about the amount of vaccine doses states would receive during the first few days. weeks. Many states, including Utah, were left with fewer doses than expected.
Lakin said such poor communication will likely alter deadlines for completing vaccination rounds for groups such as health workers. It also means likely delays for groups next on the vaccination list, such as teachers.
“Because we have fewer vaccines, it makes the timeline go back a little bit,” he said.
After vaccinating the groups, there are the first assistants and teachers, whom Lakin said he hopes the state can reach by the end of January. This ultimately depends on how many doses the federal government receives for this to happen. If the federal-level release 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 supply enough vaccines to our local health departments because the vaccination rate is faster than the amount of vaccine we can get them,” he said. Lakin. “So you can see why this can cause some delay.”
Carter Williams