Following along on the hearing on whether to issue a temporary restraining order blocking Utah’s abortion trigger law from taking effect. Hearing is starting now.
Julie Murray from Planned Parenthood is arguing for the plaintiffs. #utpol
Murray argues this is not about state rights or Roe. It is about Utah’s law depriving women of rights guaranteed by Utah’s Constitution — bodily integrity and equal protection, when and if to start a family, conscription into parenthood. #utpol
Murray: So far, Planned Parenthood has turned away 2 dozen patients, 28 others waiting. Restraining order would permit them to get care.
Every day a person continues pregnancy she has decided to end, they suffer harm. There are emotion, physical, financial consequences. #utpol
About to start a news conference to give us a status update on Utah hospitals.
Dr. Michelle Hofmann, deputy director, Utah Dept of Health, says we start the year in “dire position.” Today will report 8,913 new cases, a new record. 530 hospitalized. 188 in ICU. #utpol
Hofmann: We’ll report 13 new deaths today, including a child. Testing is bursting at the seams.
Hospitals are caring for more patients needing critical care with fewer staff because they’re out sick or exhausted.
Monoclonal antibodies are in critically short supply. #utpol
Hofmann: Only 1 of 3 monoclonals is effective against omicron. Oral antivirals are also in short supply. Between the two of them, can only treat 500 people a week.
The good news is there are plenty of vaccines. Get vaxxed, get boosted. #utpol
In UDOH call, Leisha Nolan, state epidemiologist, says it’s possible that omicron will be less severe but there are people out there who are immunocompromised and we don’t want to take chances.
It is concerning to see large groups of people coming together. #utpol
Nolen: Hard to predict when we’ll reach a peak. Probably have another bad few weeks if not a month or two ahead of us.
Even without a booster you were fairly well protected against delta. You really need a booster with omicron. It can get around the initial protection. #utpol
Tom Hudachko: Once testing sites reach an hour wait, we’re offering people to take a home-test with them instead of waiting in line.
Nolen: Home tests are not perfect but they are actually very good. Do prefer people get PCRs but its not possible to give everyone one. #utpol
ICU patients up 3 to 181 from yesterday. Referral ICUs 94.3% full.
Risk Ratios
In past 4 wks, unvaxxed Utahns are
• 2.7x as likely to test positive
• 9.2x as likely to be hospitalized
• 16.8x as likely to die from Covid.
School aged kids were 13.4% of todays total. #utpol
Utah’s New Year Covid data:
🌡 14,754 cases, ⬆️10,203 from last wkd
🎓1,764 school-aged cases
😔 17 death, 3,804 total
🏥 466 hospitalized
🧪 52,431 people tested, 28% pos. 97,490 total tests, 15% pos
📈 7-day avg, 3,346 cases/day, 18.6%/12.5% pos
💉 23,327 new vax doses #utpol
That’s a 189% increase in cases since last week — both are holiday wkds so the numbers are skewed.
12/30: 4,659 cases, ⬆️3180
12/31: 3,799, ⬆️2483
1/1: 3267, ⬆️ 2046
1/2: 3,123, ⬆️2494
Hospitalizations ⬆️ 30 from Fri. Patients in ICU up 4 to 179. Referral ICUs 89.3% full. #utpol
This is now the 2nd highest 7-day rolling average of the pandemic. Dec. 30 was the 2nd case count of the pandemic behind (it so happens) Dec. 30 of last year. Trendline is below.
Here’s info on the 17 Utahns who died since Thursday (pushing us over 3,800 total). #utpol