Schools
Caseload comparison
Right now, cases among school-aged children are about 3.5 times higher than what we saw at the beginning of last school year. The new school year is starting with a higher baseline of cases, no mask requirement, and the highly transmissible Delta variant. Projections based on current cases and potential caseload growth show cases increasing dramatically over what was experienced in schools last fall.
Children ages 12-17 have low vaccination rates
Right now, children ages 12-17 are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. As of August 30, 2021, 63.8% of Utah adults and only 38.1% of Utah children ages 12-17 are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. There are no health districts with more than 60% of children ages 12-17 fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Four health districts have less than 20% of children vaccinated, with the lowest percentages in TriCounty and Central Utah Health Districts at only 15%.
Updated school data dashboard
The Utah Department of Health has added new, school-specific data to the coronavirus-stage.at.utah.gov/case-counts web page.
By clicking on the “Schools” tab users can see school-level case data, case counts by elementary, middle, and high school-aged youth, hospitalizations and vaccinations among school-aged youth, and information on MIS-C cases.
Hospitals
Hospital and ICU occupancy, specific to COVID-19 patients, has increased dramatically since the beginning of summer. The number of currently hospitalized COVID-19 patients has increased by 342% since June 1. The number of COVID-19 patients currently being cared for in ICUs has increased by 330% in the same timeframe.
HB 294 Metrics
House Bill 294 established criteria for the lifting of COVID-19 public health orders. The metrics were met, and health orders lifted, on May 4, 2021. Current data show the state far exceeding the case rates and hospitalization metrics established in the legislation.
