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40% of Utahns are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19

The state crossed the welcome mark on Saturday but still has a ways to go for herd immunity.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Janet Bitner vaccinates Jeffrey Hesterman on the last day the Salt Lake County Health Department's COVID-19 vaccine operation was open at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Saturday, May 29, 2021.

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Utah has now crossed the 40% mark for residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

With the numbers reported Saturday, more than 1.3 million people here have completed their immunizations, according to the Utah Department of Health. That amounts to exactly 40.7% of the state’s total population.

Meanwhile, 48.2% have received at least one dose.

It’s a welcome milestone, though it’s still a ways off from the roughly 70% to 85% needed for herd immunity. But it is roughly the halfway mark for the state.

At the same time, hospitalizations and ICU visits went up slightly in the past day. And deaths in Utah due to the virus increased by four.

Vaccine doses administered in past day/total doses administered • 14,659 / 2,728,455.

Utahns fully vaccinated • 1,303,523.

Cases reported in past day • 357.

Deaths reported in past day • Four.

Utah County reported two deaths: a woman 45-64 and a woman 65-84.

There was one death in Washington County, a man 45-64.

A man 45-64 also died in Salt Lake County.

Tests reported in past day • 4,431 people were tested for the first time. A total of 7,966 people were tested.

Hospitalizations reported in the past day • 164. That’s seven more than on Friday. Of those currently hospitalized, 59 are in intensive care, two more than on Friday.

Percentage of positive tests • Under the state’s original method, the rate is 8%. That’s higher than the seven-day average of 7%.

The state’s new method counts all test results, including repeated tests of the same individual. Saturday’s rate was 4.5%, the same as the seven-day average of 4.5%

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

Totals to date • 409,364 cases; 2,323 deaths; 17,079 hospitalizations; 2,736,346 people tested.