New Utah governor unveils vaccine plan amid holiday surge

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — New Gov. Spencer Cox has unveiled a plan to ramp up Utah’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution as the state sees a post-holiday surge in new cases. The Republican governor said Friday he will issue an executive order that will require facilities to allocate their doses the week they are received. The state’s 50,000 teachers and in-person school staff will be eligible to receive the vaccine on Monday. School districts will be expected to prioritize people over 65 or who have underlying health conditions. Utah’s second phase of the vaccine roll-out, which includes anyone 70 or older, will begin on Jan. 18.