First, the state needs more than a million additional first doses of vaccine. Then, mandates will begin to increase in counties with low virus transmission rates.
(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Karen Johnson, mourning counselor at the Jordan Family Education Center, receives her second vaccine against covid-19 on Friday. Jordan school district employees were invited to West Hills Middle School to receive their coronavirus vaccine on February 12, 2021.
For the 10th time in 11 days, Utah reported less than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, for a total of 716.
First, 1,633,000 first doses of COVID-19 vaccines had to be allocated to the state. To date, the federal government has allocated 444,905 to Utah.
Eight weeks after that time, no masks will be required in counties designated as “low” for virus transmission.
As of this week, only five rural counties in Utah – Daggett, Garfield, Piute, Rich and Wayne – are in the low transmission category
Health officials also reported a dozen new deaths, although seven of these occurred before Feb. 1 and were only recently confirmed to be related to the coronavirus.
Vaccines reported in total / last day vaccinations • 11,966 / 623,876.
Number of Utahns who have received two doses • 213,278.
Cases reported last day • 716.
Deaths reported last day • 12.
Salt Lake County reported four deaths: two men and a woman between the ages of 65 and 84 and a woman over the age of 85.
There were two deaths in Davis County: a man aged 45 to 64 and a woman aged 65 to 84.
And two deaths in Sevier County: both women over the age of 85.
Four counties reported a single death: a 65- to 84-year-old woman in Cache County, a 65- to 84-year-old man in Utah County, a 65- to 84-year-old man in Washington County, and a 65- to 84-year-old man 84 in Weber County.
Hospitalizations reported last day • 239. That’s two starting Monday. Of those currently hospitalized, 95 are in intensive care units, four fewer than on Monday.
Tests reported last day • 6,458 people were tested for the first time. A total of 18,480 people were tested.
Percentage of positive tests • According to the original method of the state, the rate is 11.1%. This is lower than the seven-day average of 13.3%.
His new method counts all test results, including repeated tests from the same individual. Tuesday’s rate is now 3.9%, down from the seven-day average of 6.2%.
Total so far • 367,789 cases; 1,865 dead; 14,520 hospitalizations; 2,172,963 people tested.
The state’s updated public health order also specifies how coronavirus students can be tested to stay in school or participate in high school extracurricular activities.
The renewed order provides guidelines for school districts to implement “permanence test” protocols when a school has an outbreak; students can choose to move to remote learning or continue face-to-face classes if they obtain a negative COVID-19 test. The order also includes rules for “testing to play,” through which high school students can participate in one-off extracurricular events (e.g., prom) if they are tested two weeks in advance.
In addition, bar rules and public meetings are being released in counties with moderate levels of transmission. Bars in these counties are no longer required to limit occupancy to 75%, but must ensure that patrons wear masks when they are less than 6 feet from a separate party.
People at public gatherings (including movie theaters, sporting events, weddings, and recreational and entertainment activities) in moderately broadcast counties can sit side by side if they wear masks, have no symptoms of COVID, and are not subject to to quarantine or isolation. If someone at the event is positive, event hosts should be able to contact those who were in close contact with that person.
As of Tuesday, only eight counties in Utah – Box Elder, Carbon, Duchesne, Millard, Morgan, San Juan, Uintah and Weber – are in the moderate zone.
Sixteen Utah counties remain in the high-transmission category; they include most of the major population centers in the state in the counties of Salt Lake, Utah, Davis, Washington and Cache.
Rich Saunders, the executive director of the Utah Department of Health, signed the renewed order Monday night. It is effective until March 25.