LONDON The coronavirus forced Christopher Riley, a 53-year-old with blood cancer who lives in London, to strike a balance in the pursuit of normalcy. He would grab flowers from the buckets next to the entrance of a supermarket, but keep it quick. He went to Tate Modern, but on an early weekday morning. He would cook for friends, but only a small group who had all taken Covid tests.
Those accommodations allowed Mr. Riley to maintain something of a normal life as the virus roared through Britain, even though his condition meant that his immune system was compromised.
But now, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday that he was scrapping the coronavirus restrictions in England, Mr. Riley and other vulnerable people are afraid that even scaled-back activities will be too risky, leaving them further isolated even as the country opens up for most people.
Now I cant see how we can move forward into a sort of normality, he said, adding that the new approach will push him more into his house. There is nothing there to protect us.
A return to regular life was at the heart of Mr. Johnsons decision to roll back the remainder of Englands legally enforceable coronavirus restrictions, in what has been described as an effort to live with the virus. People who are infected will no longer have to isolate and most testing will no longer be free.
We must chart a course back towards normality as rapidly as possible, Mr. Johnson said during a news conference on Monday.
For Clare Dawson, that path had just been interrupted.
If there was someone walking around the streets whom you knew might kill you, would you go out? said Ms. Dawson, 41, who lives in London and has a chronic lung disease that puts her at greater risk of severe consequences from Covid-19.
Gemma Peters, the chief executive of Blood Cancer U.K., a charity that funds research into blood cancer, said that after the prime ministers announcement, its hotline was overwhelmed with calls from cancer patients asking what the new rules meant for them and whether it would be safe for them to go out.
We cant answer all the calls, Ms. Peters said. People use language like, Society doesnt care if I die, and I think that is the feeling that they are kind of collateral damage.
The British government said in a news conference that it would continue to protect the most vulnerable with targeted vaccinations and treatments, and that free tests would still be available for vulnerable people, but it acknowledged that lifting the remaining legal curbs would most likely cause a rise in cases.
Keeping free testing for the vulnerable? Thats too late, said Trishna Bharadia, 42, who has multiple sclerosis and has been largely isolating at home in Buckinghamshire, England, for the past two years. The aim should be to prevent the vulnerable from getting Covid in the first place.
Ms. Bharadia said she and her family watched Mr. Johnsons news conference on Monday in the living room from where they have watched virtual weddings, funerals, and birthday parties they havent been able to attend for the past two years.
We can only live with the virus if those protection measures continue, said Ms. Bharadia. Just because I have a health condition it doesnt mean that I matter less.
Still, the trend for fewer restrictions seems clear. On Tuesday, Scotland which is part of Britain but sets its own Covid policies also moved to roll back its legal coronavirus restrictions. Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister there, announced plans to lift mask mandates in March and said the countrys Covid certification scheme, which requires people to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative test in order to attend large events, would end this month.
And the British government has also withdrawn its guidance in England for staff and students at most schools and nurseries to test twice a week, even if they do not have symptoms. Infected children, just like the adults, will also no longer be legally required to self-isolate, but will be advised to do so.
Experts warned that this could lead children who have a weak immune system or live with vulnerable family members to be excluded from school.
Ceinwen Giles, 47, who developed an immune deficiency after her cancer treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma, said that her 12-year-old daughter would continue to go to school, but is anxious about the likelihood that she may be sitting next to children who might be infected.
This is how we have to live, said Ms. Giles, who is also joint chief executive of Shine Cancer Support, a charity for young adults with cancer. And no one seems to care.
In England and Wales, only 16.8 percent of people who died of Covid from October to December last year did not have a pre-existing health condition, according to the British government. For people who have a weaker immune system because of a disease or a treatment, Covid-19 can be more deadly, and vaccines often offer less protection.
Whether or not their condition forced them to take health precautions even before the pandemic, in the last two years many clinically vulnerable people have been forced into nearly total isolation, and even more so as mandates and restrictions have dropped around them. In the United States, many immuncompromised and higher-risk people have also felt left behind by the flurry of lifted restrictions.
You feel different again, said Ms. Dawson, adding that the new approach from the government had made her feel more alone in the face of the virus and forced to adopt her own precautions, stripped of the equalizing effect of rules.
Ultimately, people with health conditions understand the desire for life to return to normal, and say they are not asking for draconian restrictions.
Instead, they say that modest restrictions like mask mandates in transportation and supermarkets, and isolation requirements for infected people would make a big difference for the more vulnerable without causing a major disruption to everyone else.
The mask is just such a small thing, said Mr. Riley, 53. I cant wrap my head around how its such an issue for people.
Megan Specia contributed reporting.
Poland will remove most coronavirus restrictions from the start of next month, the government said Wednesday, citing rapidly falling numbers of new cases and patients in hospital.
Kicking in from March 1, there will be no limits on the number of customers in stores, restaurants, cultural venues and public transport. Entertainment venues like discos and nightclubs will reopen as well.
Unfortunately, [this] chapter of the pandemic is not closed yet. But we can see that the Omicron variants mortality and hospitalizations are much lower, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told a press conference, as Warsaw followed similar easing moves by other European countries in response to the relatively mild impact of the latest viral variant.
Poland recorded 20,456 new coronavirus cases in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning, a drop of 29 percent from a week earlier. The number of fatal cases, at 360, down 4 percent on the week.
Basic restrictions remain in force, Morawiecki said, encouraging those who have not been vaccinated yet to get a jab. Poland has so far vaccinated nearly 67% of adult population, according to latest data from the ministry of health.
Poles will still have to wear facemasks in indoor spaces as well as on public transport. Anyone with a confirmed infection will need to isolate for a week. Quarantine for people living with an infected person is also a week long unless they are vaccinated.
A weeklong quarantine has also been retained for people arriving in Poland from the Schengen visa-free travel zone unless they hold a valid vaccination certificate, are recovered from COVID-19, or produce a negative test not older than 48 hours. All visitors from outside of the Schengen area must take a test up to 24 hours before arrival or go into quarantine for a week. Testing is obligatory even for those vaccinated and those who recovered from COVID-19.
Oregon health officials reported 1,160 new coronavirus cases Wednesday and 35 deaths connected to COVID-19, along with an 18-bed drop in hospitalizations.
The decline in the number of beds occupied by COVID-19 patients statewide continues the trend of hospitalizations falling faster than anticipated by forecasts the state relies on to set some of its COVID-19 policy.
The Oregon Health Authority, which sets and repeals masking rules, used an older forecast to set March 31 as the cut-off date for lifting the public indoor mask mandate, allowing for an earlier date if hospitalizations fall to pre-omicron levels earlier than anticipated.
The data indicate hospitalizations are on track to fall to the threshold set by the state, 400 occupied beds, far sooner than the end of next month.
Since the omicron peak Jan. 27, hospitalizations have fallen an average of about 20 beds per day. Oregon is now 179 patients away from the 400 threshold.
Where the new cases are by county: Baker (2), Benton (19), Clackamas (78), Clatsop (6), Columbia (23), Coos (17), Crook (13), Curry (24), Deschutes (69), Douglas (42), Gilliam (1), Harney (3), Hood River (5), Jackson (118), Jefferson (24), Josephine (13), Klamath (11), Lake (3), Lane (87), Lincoln (14), Linn (38), Malheur (17), Marion (107), Morrow (4), Multnomah (166), Polk (27), Tillamook (12), Umatilla (22), Union (19), Wallowa (2), Wasco (26), Washington (120) and Yamhill (28).
Who died: The state did not immediately release details about those who died.
Hospitalizations: 579 people with confirmed coronavirus infections are hospitalized, down 18 from Tuesday. That includes 110 people in intensive care, up one from Tuesday.
Since it began: Oregon has reported 690,481 confirmed or presumed infections and 6,519 deaths, among the lowest per capita numbers in the nation. To date, the state has reported 7,352,004 vaccine doses administered, fully vaccinating 2,859,242 people and partially vaccinating 295,130 people.
To see more data and trends, visit https://projects.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/
Fedor Zarkhin
503-294-7674; fzarkhin@oregonian.com
The gist: The omicron variant is continuing to subside, but its surge was one of the deadliest waves weve seen in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, Philadelphias promise of $100 for folks who get vaccinated now isnt drawing big crowds, and Pennsylvania schools have likewise been slow to take up a free testing program offered by the state. Vaccines, meanwhile, remain an important tool in fighting the pandemic and they may also help combat long-haul COVID-19, a study has found.
Tell us: Phillys offering $100 for people who get vaccinated. What do you think could encourage vaccinations? Send us a note, and well share some responses in next weeks newsletter. Please keep it to 35 words.
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Nick Vadala (@njvadala, health@inquirer.com)
Despite it being less likely to cause severe illness and death than previous COVID-19 strains, deaths from the highly transmissible omicron variant were still high due to the sheer number of people infected during the latest surge. As a result, more than 9,000 Pennsylvanians have died from COVID-19 since Dec. 1, giving the state one of the nations highest per-capita death rates in what has been called one of the most deadly waves weve seen.
Hospitals throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey are reporting dramatic drops in COVID-19 patients as the omicron surge continues to subside.
A promise of $100 for people getting vaccinated against COVID-19 hasnt brought big crowds to Philadelphias clinics at least not yet.
Despite spikes in coronavirus infections and low child vaccination rates, schools across Pennsylvania have been slow to enroll in a free testing program.
Long-haul COVID-19, often shortened to long COVID, is less common among people who were vaccinated, a review of multiple studies has found.
Philly-area schools are increasingly ending mask mandates, but how and when theyre deciding to do so is dividing communities.
Delco is the most populous Pennsylvania county without a health department. It is, however, getting one very soon, officials say.
Some Philly restaurant owners are choosing to keep requiring proof of vaccination.
Penn States THON, a 46-hour dance marathon, returned for its 50th year with new safety protocols.
Phillys health department clowned rapper Nicky Minaj over a controversial COVID-19 comment, and a Twitter storm erupted.
Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are declining in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Track the latest data here.
Last week, we asked what you think about the vaccine mandate for indoor dining ending. Heres what you told us:
Back to cooking at home. Close quarters, everyone unmasked, everyone speaking up because restaurants are loud; Im not going to be comfortable eating out anymore.
To me, this seems like a cheap campaign move and further erodes the public trust in the health department and city council. Such a disappointment.
Youre forcing maskless conscientious people to sit amongst a crowd of irresponsible unvaccinated people. No thank you, I opt for Jersey Mikes takeout subs.
Glad to see the vaccine mandate go! Doubt it did any good but scare off some restaurant goers like myself who chose to eat outside the city during this time. Hope this provides some relief to restaurant owners and workers!
This is a great way for the city to make even more spaces inaccessible for vulnerable people.
Its not over yet. People concerned about the economy always take steps too quickly and that doesnt work. A few more weeks could make a difference in the return back to normal.
This move may placate the unvaccinated, but it will take away the pleasure and possibly the safety of indoor dining for many.
Presales for the Franklin Institutes highly anticipated Harry Potter exhibition eclipsed presales for all other shows at the museum since 2007. But is it, you know, any good? We took a young Harry Potter fan to check it out and get the skinny on this massive, 20,000-square-foot show. From boggarts to Quidditch, heres what you have to look forward to.
Birria tacos are big right now, and Philly has plenty of meaty, crispy options on offer to satiate all your savory cravings but here are the real standouts.
Burned out on your day-to-day corporate grind? Do like this Fishtown woman did and give it all up to make handheld fishing nets prized by fly fishermen around the world.
Philly (understandably) still has James Harden fever, so here are 13 things you need to know about the newest Sixer.
The social isolation the pandemic has caused is tough, but this group of friends has a unique remedy: Dominoes. Spread across Philly, New York City, New Jersey, and Virginia, they meet twice a week nearly every week for two years now on Zoom to catch up and play a game of bones. Their name? The DominOsos, which loosely translates as the dominos playing bears.
A new analysis says that COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to trigger a rare inflammatory condition linked to coronavirus infection in kids
By LINDSEY TANNER AP Medical Writer
February 22, 2022, 11:42 PM
4 min read
COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to trigger a rare inflammatory condition linked to coronavirus infection in children, according to an analysis of U.S. government data published Tuesday.
The condition, formally known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, involves fever plus symptoms affecting at least two organs and often includes stomach pain, skin rash or bloodshot eyes. It's a rare complication in kids who have had COVID-19, and very rarely affects adults. The condition often leads to hospitalization, but most patients recover.
First reported in the United Kingdom in early 2020, it is sometimes mistaken for Kawasaki disease, which can cause swelling and heart problems. Since February 2020, more than 6,800 cases have been reported in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As part of COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring, the CDC and U.S. Food and Drug Administration added the condition to a list of several potential adverse events of special interest. A few cases reported in people with no detectable evidence of coronavirus infection prompted researchers at the CDC and elsewhere to undertake the new analysis, which was published Tuesday in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.
The possibility that the vaccines could somehow prompt the condition is only theoretical and the analysis found no evidence that it did, said co-author Dr. Buddy Creech, a Vanderbilt University pediatric infectious disease specialist who is leading a study of Moderna shots in children.
We dont know what the exact contribution of the vaccine to these illnesses is, Creech said. Vaccine alone in absence of a preceding infection appears not to be a substantial trigger.
The analysis involved surveillance data for the first nine months of COVID-19 vaccination in the U.S., from December 2020 through August 2021. During that time, the FDA authorized Pfizers COVID-19 shots for ages 16 and up; expanded that in May to ages 12 through 15; and authorized Moderna and Johnson & Johnson shots for ages 18 and up.
More than 21 million people aged 12 to 20 received at least one vaccine dose during that time. Twenty-one of them developed the inflammatory condition afterward. All had received Pfizer shots, the analysis found. Fifteen of the 21 had laboratory evidence of a previous COVID-19 infection that could have triggered the condition.
The remaining six had no evidence of a previous infection, but the researchers said they could not conclude definitively that theyd never had COVID-19 or some other infection that could have led to the inflammatory condition. Kids with COVID-19 often have no symptoms and many never get tested.
The results suggest that the inflammatory condition may occur after vaccination in 1 in 1 million children who have had COVID-19, and in 1 in 3 million who have no detectable evidence of previous COVID-19 infection.
Most kids who had COVID-19 dont develop the post-infection illness, but it is estimated to happen at a significantly higher rate than both of those post-vaccination figures. In April to June 2020, the rate was 200 cases per million in unvaccinated infected people aged 12-20 in the U.S.
Their findings overall are quite reassuring, Dr. Mary Beth Son of Boston Childrens Hospital wrote in a commentary accompanying the study.
Dr. Adam Ratner, a pediatrician-scientist at New York University Langone Health, said the results show that chances are super rare for the shots to prompt an immune response that could lead to the inflammatory condition. By contrast, theres strong evidence that vaccination protects kids from getting COVID-19 as well as the condition, Ratner said.
Follow AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner at @LindseyTanner.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education.
Is omicron leading us closer to herd immunity against COVID-19?
Experts say it's not likely that the highly transmissible variant or any other variant will lead to herd immunity.
Herd immunity is an elusive concept and doesnt apply to coronavirus, says Dr. Don Milton at the University of Maryland School of Public Health.
Herd immunity is when enough of a population is immune to a virus that its hard for the germ to spread to those who arent protected by vaccination or a prior infection.
For example, herd immunity against measles requires about 95% of a community to be immune. Early hopes of herd immunity against the coronavirus faded for several reasons.
One is that antibodies developed from available vaccines or previous infection dwindle with time. While vaccines offer strong protection against severe illness, waning antibodies mean it's still possible to get infected even for those who are boosted.
Then there's the huge variation in vaccinations. In some low-income countries, less than 5% of the population is vaccinated. Rich countries are struggling with vaccine hesitancy. And young children still aren't eligible in many places.
READ MORE: Does the COVID-19 vaccine interfere with mammograms? | Expert Opinion
As long as the virus spreads, it mutates helping the virus survive and giving rise to new variants. Those mutants such as omicron can become better at evading the protection people have from vaccines or an earlier infection.
Populations are moving toward herd resistance, where infections will continue, but people have enough protection that future spikes won't be as disruptive to society, Milton says.
Many scientists believe COVD-19 will eventually become like the flu and cause seasonal outbreaks but not huge surges.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) The Ohio Department of Health has released the latest number of COVID-19 cases in the state.
Numbers as of Tuesday, Feb. 22 follow:
The 21-day case average is below2,900.
The department reported1,764people started the vaccination process, bringing the total to7,214,879which is 61.72% of the states population. And3,162received booster shots.
The Ohio Hospital Association reported the following numbers related to COVID-19 patients:
Data from the Ohio Department of Health shows hospitalizations are down nearly 80% from the all-time high six weeks ago, causing some encouragement for state doctors. Schools in the state are also reporting its lowest case numberssince the beginning of the school year.
With Omicron fading and pressure growing to ease mask rules and other pandemic restrictions, there is growing debate among health officials and experts about if or when a second booster shot will be part of this path toward recovery.
Vaccines and boosters proved highly effective against serious illness from Omicron. But what is also clear, though, is that the defense afforded by vaccines while still robust tends to wane over time, leaving even some vaccinated and boosted individuals more vulnerable than others.
Data released earlier this month by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examined people who got a booster shot of a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine after completing a two-dose primary vaccination series.
During a time where Omicron was the dominant coronavirus variant, vaccine effectiveness against COVID-related emergency department or urgent care visits for people was 87% during the two months after the booster shot, but that fell to 81% during the third month and dropped to 66% for the fourth month after the booster.
I think thats kind of a word of caution, said Dr. George Rutherford, a epidemiologist and infectious diseases expert at UC San Francisco.
A subsequent booster would seemingly help address the issue of waning immunity. But not everyone is convinced a second booster will be needed anytime soon.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Bidens chief medical advisor, noted last week that a single booster shot still provides high levels of protection against severe disease. During the Omicron surge, vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19-related hospitalization was 91% during the two months after the booster, fell to 88% during the third month and dropped to 78% for the fourth month, according to data published by the CDC.
Nonetheless, the level of 78 is still a good protective area, Fauci said, adding that he and other officials will continue studying the need for a second booster shot. Recommendations, if needed, will be updated according to the data as it evolves.
The CDC has already recommended that those age 12 and older with moderate or severely compromised immune systems who have already received three doses of vaccinations of the Pfizer or Moderna shots get a fourth dose.
For immune compromised people who got the Johnson and Johnson vaccination as their primary inoculation and have already received a second dose of vaccine, officials now recommend an additional shot, for a total of three doses.
But, in terms of universal boosting, I dont think thats where were going to go anytime soon, Rutherford said, although its possible we may eventually get around to it.
Its not just U.S. officials that are weighing the issue. Some other countries, such as Sweden, the United Kingdom and Israel, are making second booster doses available to certain populations such as residents who are older or at higher risk of severe health impacts from COVID-19.
Dr. Robert Wachter, chair of UC San Franciscos Department of Medicine, tweeted Saturday that evidence of efficacy of second booster from Israel is mixed, however, so I doubt well have one soon in U.S.; maybe by the fall, as a prelude to an annual COVID shot.
Personally, second boost would make me more comfy going maskless, but Im OK waiting for additional data, Wachter added.
For most of those living in the U.S., an additional booster dose would mean four shots total an initial two-dose series of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, plus two subsequent boosters. The shots manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna are collectively known as mRNA vaccines.
For those who initially got the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, a second booster would mean a third overall shot.
The potential future [recommendation] for an additional boost or a fourth shot for mRNA or a third shot for J&J is being very carefully monitored in real time. And recommendations, if needed, will be updated according to the data as it evolves, Fauci said last week.
In San Francisco, health officials have moved ahead of federal guidance and are already allowing Johnson & Johnson recipients to get a second booster shot.
Despite ongoing discussions around the wisdom of even further boosting, many officials say their top priority at the moment is getting more residents to avail themselves of the additional shot for which theyre already eligible.
Recipients of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines should get boosted at least five months after completing their initial two-dose series, according to the CDC. The recommended waiting period is two months for those who received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Statewide, almost 28 million Californians are already fully vaccinated, according to data from the California Department of Public Health. But only about 13.8 million of them have so far gotten a booster.
Significant gaps also persist across age groups. Among Californians who are at least 65 years old, 72.3% of eligible people have already been boosted. The share is lower, 62.1%, for those between the ages of 50 and 64.
However, fewer than half of eligible adults ages 18 to 49 have been boosted so far. And the same is true for only abut 30% of those between the ages of 12 and 17, state data show.
Health officials say dramatically increasing booster coverage as well as getting more people to roll up their sleeves for the first or second time is key to reducing not just an individuals risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19, but the dangers posed by potential new surges.
The work that lies ahead will be focused on the kids who have only recently become eligible, or who remain ineligible for vaccines, to get them fully vaccinated, up-to-date on their immunity also on boosters, with a particular focus on our older, disabled, immunocompromised citizens, with a focus on closing yet another emerging equity gap in the current administration of boosters, Dr. Mark Ghaly, Californias health and human services secretary, said during a recent briefing.
According to the latest available state data, unvaccinated Californians remain almost six times more likely to be infected by the coronavirus than those who have been fully vaccinated and boosted. Theyre also nearly 12 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 and 17 times more likely to die from the disease than their fully vaccinated and boosted counterparts.
Being fully vaccinated provides really excellent protection against COVID-19. But because the vaccines protection fades over time, people do need that booster dose to be optimally protected, said Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
Ongoing concerns about the potential for future surges is one reason why some California elected officials have voiced support for COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
A group of Democratic lawmakers is pushing a bill that would require employees and independent contractors to be vaccinated as a condition of employment unless they have an exemption based on a medical condition, disability or religious beliefs.
And last October, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a plan to require COVID-19 vaccinations for all public and private schoolchildren. That would initially take effect for grades 7 through 12 for the school term following the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations full approval of the vaccine for children ages 12 to 15.
Children of that age can currently receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine under emergency authorization, but it isnt clear when the FDA might give its full approval. The vaccine has been fully approved by the FDA for those 16 and older.
Unlike with other vaccines required for schoolchildren, Newsoms plan because it was not enacted through the Legislature would allow parents to cite personal beliefs in refusing to inoculate their children against COVID-19.
There are efforts underway to strengthen that pending requirement. One legislator, state Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), has proposed a bill that would add COVID-19 vaccines to Californias list of required inoculations for attending K-12 schools, which can be skipped only if a student receives a rare medical exemption.
If passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor, the measure would supplant Newsoms plan.
In an interview broadcast on MSNBCs The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart, Newsom touted the states handling of the pandemic as one that has saved lives.
State health officials have published data showing how Californias cumulative per capita COVID-19 death rate is lower than the nations five other most populous states: Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois.
Newsom said now is the time to prepare for new surges should they come, such as making sure the state is not caught unprepared yet again with shortages of medical equipment like gowns and N95 masks.
Were realizing that were going to have to live with different variants of this disease for many, many years, Newsom said on the program.
Comparison of Experimental Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infection Acquired by Three Individual Routes of Infection in the Common Marmoset | Journal of Virology Journal of Virology
Tags: COVID-19
This past week, we announced that its time for Utahs response to the coronavirus pandemic to shift to better match where we are.
By March 31, our response will transition to what we are calling a Steady State. Some elements of the response will transition to being the responsibility of our highly capable health care systems. This will allow our public health system to refocus on things a public health system would normally look after, like disease surveillance, data collection and reporting, vaccinations, and public awareness. If we see another surge, we will maintain teams and contracts that allow for ramping back up quickly if necessary.
Heres what this means for you.
Testing sites across the state will close as we transition away from community sites to health care settings, private providers for events and travel and at-home testing.
We still recommend certain people seek testing, including older people with high-risk conditions, vulnerable populations and those who work with them and those who often visit vulnerable people. These Utahns should seek testing through their health care provider.
Similar to testing, health care and treatments will become more fully based in the health care system. Monoclonal antibody treatments are available in hospitals and urgent cares statewide. Health care providers across the state are now able to prescribe oral antivirals.
State contracts for COVID positive long-term care facilities are drawing to a close and we are demobilizing UDOH treatment sites. Public health will, however, continue to support navigating vulnerable populations to care.
Utah will continue to provide public information, but less often. We will be decreasing dashboard update frequency from daily to weekly.
We know this isnt over and will continue watching the data closely, tracking wastewater, clinic and ER visits, hospitalizations, and deaths. Were also keeping an eye on new variants or any increase in cases and will ramp back up if needed.
Vaccines have been and will be the surest way out of the pandemic. This administration is dedicated to getting vaccines to as many people as possible.
That includes vaccinations for children younger than five as soon as they are authorized. Weve made great strides in preparing for this: At least 79% of the states health care providers who participate in the Vaccines for Children program are also now enrolled to administer COVID vaccines. We will continue to work with the remaining 21% of providers to convince them to offer COVID vaccines to their patients as well.
We know that vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself from the coronavirus. Please help out our community by getting vaccinated today!
This is not the end of the pandemic. Were still keeping an eye on the future and are ready to ramp back up if necessary. But weve made great strides in fighting the pandemic:
In the past two years, weve
All of the key metrics are moving in the right direction. Vaccines are widely available and hopefully soon everyone older than six months will be eligible to receive the vaccine. Treatments are more widely available, and supplies are improving every week. Testing is available in the comfort of your own home! Hospitals and ICUs and the health care workers who staff them are still at high levels, as they trail behind other indicators, but they too are finally starting to see some relief.
As always, you can find coronavirus information at coronavirus.utah.gov and health.utah.gov.
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