Latest COVID-19 News: State to Add ‘Much More’ Vaccine Doses for Older Minnesotans

Three things to know today about COVID-19 in Minnesota:

• The Minnesota Department of Health is expected to announce increased vaccine doses for people 65 years of age and older, as well as other ways to get vaccinated.

• About 7.6 percent of Minnesotans have received at least one dose of the vaccine; 2 percent received both doses.

• On average over the past week, the number of new COVID-19 cases reported in Minnesota each day fell below 1,000 on Sunday for the first time in more than four months.

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The Minnesota Department of Health is expected to announce the next steps in the state’s COVID-19 vaccination effort on Monday.

After two weeks of a pilot program – for people 65 and older and educators – that tested the logistics of community vaccination clinics, a state health official said Sunday evening that the Ministry of Health Santé was about to announce:

• “Significantly more” doses of vaccine for Minnesotans 65 years and older, available not only at community vaccination sites, but also by appointment at clinics, hospitals and pharmacies across the state.

• Permanent community vaccination sites will open next week in Minneapolis, Duluth and a location in southern Minnesota to be determined, with additional sites opening in the coming weeks.

• An online map directing Minnesotans to providers in their area who administer vaccines.

More details are expected to be announced later Monday.

While there aren’t enough vaccines yet to meet demand, state health officials have said the infrastructure in place now will speed up vaccinations once doses become available.

The update will come as the most recent report from health officials shows that approximately 418,000 residents of Minnesotans – 7.6% of the state’s residents – have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Almost 112,000 people – about 2 percent of the state’s residents – received the two doses to complete the vaccination.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 numbers in Minnesota continue to move in a positive direction in early February.

On average over the past week, the number of new COVID cases reported in Minnesota each day fell below 1,000 on Sunday for the first time in more than four months. The average number of hospital admissions and deaths for COVID-19 each day also continues to decline, as does the average rate of test positivity.

Here’s the Minnesota Current COVID-19 Statistics:

• 6,200 deaths (13 new)

• 461,807 positive cases (996 new); 446,137 excluding isolation (97 percent)

• 6.6 million tests, 3.3 million Minnesotans tested (around 56% of the population)

• 3.3 percent seven-day positive test rate (officials find 5 percent or more concerning)

• 7.6 percent of Minnesotans vaccinated with at least one dose

The death toll from COVID-19 in Minnesota continues to rise – reaching 6,200 on Sunday.

And health experts are closely monitoring new variants of the coronavirus, to watch for any signs of increasing cases.

Cases distributed across age groups and regions

People in their 20s are still the age group with the highest number of confirmed cases in the state – nearly 88,000 since the start of the pandemic, including more than 46,000 among those aged 20 to 24.

The number of high school-age youth confirmed with the disease has also increased, with more than 35,000 total cases among those aged 15 to 19 since the start of the pandemic.

While less likely to feel the worst effects of the disease and end up in hospital, experts fear that young people and young adults could pass it on to older parents and members of other vulnerable populations.

This is of particular concern because people can have the coronavirus and spread COVID-19 when they do not have symptoms.

The number of cases tends to decline in all parts of the state after a crisis in late December and early January.

Hot spots continue to appear in rural counties relative to their population.

The number of cases remains highest among people of color

In Minnesota and across the country, COVID-19 has disproportionately hit communities of color in both cases and deaths. This has been especially true for Minnesotans of Hispanic descent during much of the pandemic.

Even as the number of new cases has declined from their peaks in late November and early December, data shows people of color continue to be hardest hit.

Distrust of the government, along with deep-rooted health and economic disparities, have hampered efforts to step up testing among communities of color, officials say, especially among unauthorized immigrants who fear their information. personal data are used to expel them.

Similar trends were seen among Indigenous residents of Minnesota during the pandemic. Counts among Aboriginal people increased in October relative to the population.

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COVID-19 in Minnesota

The data in these charts is based on cumulative totals from the Minnesota Department of Health released at 11 a.m. daily. You can find more detailed statistics on COVID-19 at Department of Health website.

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