On Monday evening, the Southeast Utah Health Department announced that 7,843 regional residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In total, 12,539 have received their first dose.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the health department will be offering walk-in clinics in Price and Castle Dale. In Carbon County, the clinic will be at the Carbon County Event Center on Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. On those same days, the Southeast Utah Health Department in Castle Dale will offer walk-in clinics from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
As vaccine distribution ramps up, the health department continues to track new cases of COVID-19 throughout the region. In the past four days, Carbon County has tallied 10 new cases of the virus. Emery County has had three new cases while Grand County has had 16 in that same time frame.
Two patients, both Carbon County residents, are currently hospitalized due to the virus. There have been 27 recorded deaths in the region, including 15 in Carbon County, nine in Emery County and three in Grand County.
With the increased distribution of the vaccine, Utah Governor Spencer Cox declared that the statewide mask mandate would end on April 10. However, Grand County’s mask mandate will remain in place through June 15.
“Utah’s termination of the statewide mask mandate on 4/10/21 via HB 294 does NOT affect Grand County’s mask mandate issued under Joint Public Health Order 2021-01GC on March 16, 2021 by the Southeast Utah Health Department and the Grand County Commission,” the health department shared. “HB 294 expressly protects the right of SEUHD and the Grand County Commission to jointly order a mask mandate.”
Grand County’s mask mandate may be terminated earlier by the health department and commission upon finding that it is no longer needed. Or, under HB 294, it will automatically terminate if the state meets all of the following criteria:
1. The 14-day state case rate is less than 191 in 100,000 (we are at 179.4 per 100,000 as of 4/5/21);
2. The seven-day state average COVID-19 ICU utilization is less than 15% (we are at 9.7% as of 4/5/21);
3. A total of 1,633,000 prime doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have been allocated to Utah (a total of 920,515 prime doses have been delivered to Utah as of 4/5/21)
Businesses may continue to require a mask at their own discretion, the health department shared.