SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has announced an extension of eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine starting next month.
On March 1, eligibility for the vaccine will be extended to Utahns age 65 and older, as well as any resident of the state who has certain comorbidities, but not all, comorbidities, Cox said.
“We’re trying to be more viral than the virus, and it’s happening,” Cox said.
All information on eligibility extension is available at coronavirus.utah.gov. Cox stressed that Thursday is just an announcement about the extension of eligibility: these people will still not be able to make appointments to get the vaccine and should not contact their local health department, he added.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Utah rose 1,273 on Thursday, with 14 more deaths reported, according to the Utah Department of Health.
According to the health department, the average continued number of positive cases per seven-day day is 1,264. The positive daily test rate for this time period is now 16.5%.
There are now 365 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, according to state data. A total of 362,701 vaccines have been administered in the state, up from 345,179 on Wednesday.
Thursday’s totals give Utah 351,273 confirmed cases in total, with 13,697 total hospitalizations and 1,711 deaths from the disease.
Cox and other state leaders provide an update on the COVID-19 pandemic at a news conference Thursday morning. The event is then broadcast live.
This story will be updated.
Jacob Klopfenstein