52% of Utahns are now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus – Salt Lake Tribune

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Bryce Combe administers a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a drive-thru event organized by the Utah County Health Department in Spanish Fork on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021.

| Oct. 6, 2021, 7:54 p.m.

| Updated: Oct. 7, 2021, 4:44 p.m.

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Just over 1.7 million Utahns are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the Utah Department of Health.

An additional 2,939 Utahns were fully vaccinated in the past day, bringing the total to 1,700,914 52% of Utahs total population.

In the past day, a dozen more Utahns died of COVID-19, the Health Department announced Wednesday. Two of those who died were between the ages of 25 and 44, and two were between 45 and 64.

The Health Department also reported 1,975 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, which brought the total number of cases recorded statewide to 516,748 since the pandemic began. The rolling seven-day average for positive tests stands at 1,422 per day.

Intensive care units in Utah hospitals are at 97.1% capacity, with 45% of patients in ICU beds are hospitalized with COVID-19.

Kids in grades K-12 accounted for 434 of the new cases announced Wednesday, according to the state Health Department. There were 187 cases reported in children aged 5-10; 106 cases in children 11-13; and 141 cases in children 14-18.

Buffalo Point Elementary in the Davis School District recently became the sixth school in the Utah to reach the state-designated threshold for a COVID-19 outbreak this fall. The Syracuse school reached that threshold in late September, as reflected in the state dashboard this week. More than 30 of its roughly 800 students have tested positive.

The school has begun testing all students with parent permission. Those who test negative can return to class in person; those who test positive or refuse to test must stay home for two weeks.

In the past four weeks, unvaccinated Utahns were 6.4 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than vaccinated people, according to a Health Department analysis. The unvaccinated also were seven times more likely to be hospitalized and 6.3 times more likely to test positive for the coronavirus.

Vaccine doses administered in past day/total doses administered 10,124 / 3,525,706.

Utahns fully vaccinated 1,700,914.

Cases reported in past day 1,975

Deaths reported in past day 12.

Utah County reported two deaths a man between the ages of 65-84, and a man 85-plus. There were also two deaths in Washington County a woman 65-84, and a man 85-plus.

Eight counties each reported a single death a Salt Lake County man 25-44; a Davis County woman 65-84; a Duchesne County woman 25-44; an Iron County man 45-64; a Sanpete County man 65-84; a Tooele County man 45-64; a Uintah County woman 65-84; and a Weber County man 85-plus.

Tests reported in past day 11,613 people were tested for the first time. A total of 22,541 people were tested.

Hospitalizations reported in the past day 575. Thats 29 more than reported on Tuesday. Of those currently hospitalized, 229 are in intensive care six more than Tuesday.

Percentage of positive tests Under the states original method, the rate is 17% over the past day. Thats higher than the seven-day average of 15.4%.

The states new method counts all test results, including repeated tests of the same individual. Tuesdays rate was 8.8%, lower than the seven-day average of 10.1%.

[Read more: Utah is changing how it measures the rate of positive COVID-19 tests. Heres what that means.]

Totals to date 516,748 cases; 2,974 deaths; 22,514 hospitalizations; 3,505,673 people tested.

Tribune reporter Courtney Tanner contributed to this story.

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52% of Utahns are now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus - Salt Lake Tribune