SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced Thursday that eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine will be extended to Utahns 50 and older, as well as residents with the most comorbidities in the state. from Monday.
In addition to Utahns 50 years of age or older, residents with type 1 or 2 diabetes, a body mass index greater than 30, or chronic kidney disease may also receive the vaccine.
“That’s a big addition to eligibility,” Cox said.
After spending months at Utah’s highest restriction level for COVID-19, Salt Lake and Davis counties will move to moderate transmission level on Thursday, talso announced the governor. That means restrictions will loosen in both counties, as infection rates have continued to decline statewide over the past month.
For counties with a moderate level of transmission, it is recommended to limit social gatherings to 25 people or less. Masks are still needed for interior public configuration and for exterior configuration when social distancing is not possible.
For restaurants in moderately transmitted counties, a 6-foot spacing between parties in waiting areas is still required. Guests need masks in restaurants unless they are actively eating or drinking. At bars, guests must wear masks if they are less than 6 feet from another party and must wear them if they are not eating or drinking.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Utah has risen by 611 on Thursday, with 12 more deaths and nearly 26,000 more vaccines, according to the Utah Department of Health. Seven of the deaths occurred before Feb. 11, but were still being investigated by the state medical office, according to the health department.
According to the health department, the average number of positive cases per day seven days a day is 558. The percentage of positive tests per day for the time period communicated with the “people on people” method is now 10%. The positive seven-day test rate calculated using the “test over test” method is now 4.8%.
There are currently 203 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Utah, according to state data. A total of 785,523 vaccines have been administered in the state, up from 741,297 on Wednesday.
Thursday’s totals give Utah 373,319 confirmed cases in total, with 14,816 total hospitalizations and 1,965 deaths from the disease.
The Utah Governor Spencer Cox pandemic COVID-19 update began at 11 a.m. and airs live here.
Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson and the Utah Department of Health state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn are also scheduled to speak at the event.
This story will be updated.