Latest news on COVID-19 in MN: Vaccinations flat; the number of active files is climbing

3 things to know

• 26.5 percent with at least one dose of vaccine; 16 percent fully immunized

• State may expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility next week

• Active cases are increasing; The need for intensive care is the highest since the end of January

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State public health officials should brief reporters at 2 p.m.

Updated 12:27

The race is on to vaccinate the Minnesotans quickly enough to prevent another outbreak of COVID-19, but the vaccination rate is slowing down right now as active cases and hospitalizations increase.

On Thursday, the Department of Health reported about 34,000 additional vaccinations, maintaining the seven-day trend of around 40,000 injections per day, roughly what it has been in recent weeks.

The pace of stabilization is not necessarily an issue as the state’s federal vaccine shipments are expected to jump starting next week. Officials also plan to expand eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Still, the bump cannot come soon enough. Public health officials are increasingly concerned about cases linked to the UK variant and youth sports. They have confirmed 479 cases of the strain in recent weeks. They are also keeping a careful eye on several COVID-19 hotspots across the state.

More than 878,000 people – about 15.8 percent of the state’s population – have completed their vaccinations while more than 1.4 million – 26.5 percent – have received at least one dose, of which about 79 percent have been vaccinated. percent of people aged 65 and over.

For those who have received a full vaccination, the results look good so far. Of the more than 850,000 people fully vaccinated, the state has identified only 89 who later tested positive for COVID-19, officials said on Tuesday.

Regional outbreaks concerning; active cases in place

After a relatively stable period after a late fall surge, indicator lights are flashing around data on Minnesota’s COVID-19 disease.

The number of known and active cases is increasing again. Thursday showed 11,526 active cases – marking seven consecutive days with active counts above 10,000, a stretch not seen since late January.

While still small compared to late November and early December, the increase is notable given concerns over the rise of the UK COVID-19 strain, which health officials say is causing the current recovery.

Hospitalizations are low compared to the late fall surge, but those numbers are also increasing. Department of Health data showed 332 people with COVID-19 in Minnesota hospitals as of Tuesday; 93 needed intensive care, the highest number of intensive care patients in two months.

Sixteen deaths reported Thursday – the highest daily tally in two weeks – brought Minnesota’s collective toll to 6,814. Of those who died, about 63% were living in long-term care or assisted living facilities; most had underlying health problems.

The state has recorded a total of 510,398 confirmed or probable cases in the pandemic so far, with 1,857 reported on Thursday. About 97% of Minnesotans known to be infected with COVID-19 in the pandemic have recovered to the point where they no longer need to be isolated.

Regionally, all parts of Minnesota are in better shape than they were in late November and early December. Some regions are experiencing increases in cases.

Public health officials continue to monitor the clusters in the subway in the southwest of the Twin Cities – particularly Carver and Scott counties – as well as in the Mankato area and east of the Iron Range. , centered around the city of Aurora.

There is also an outbreak now in Ely, about an hour northeast of Aurora.

St. Louis County public officials say that last week, 33 cases were confirmed in Ely. This represents about 15% of all COVID-19 cases across the county. Some of these cases are travel related. Others have been linked to social gatherings and sports activities for young people.

Ely school officials report that about two-thirds of cases in the city have been found in schools, mostly high school. As a result, students return to distance education for about two weeks in an attempt to stop the spread.

State recommends youth across the state get tested for COVID-19 every two weeks, with student-athletes tested weekly; Officials are also asking everyone in Carver County to get tested.

Cases distributed across age groups

People in their 20s are still the age group with the most confirmed cases in the state – more than 95,000 since the start of the pandemic, including more than 50,000 among those aged 20 to 24.

The number of high school age youth confirmed with the disease has also increased, with more than 40,000 total cases among those aged 15 to 19 since the start of the pandemic.

With children increasingly returning to school buildings and sports, Minnesota public health officials are urging Minnesota families with children to get tested every two weeks for COVID-19 until the end of the year. ‘school year.

Although young people are less likely to feel the worst effects of the disease and end up in hospital, experts fear that young people will unknowingly pass it on to their older parents and members of other vulnerable populations. People with coronavirus can spread it when they don’t have symptoms.

Workload 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 Hispanic Minnesotans during much of the pandemic.

Even though the number of new cases continues to follow well below their highs in late November, early December, data shows Latinos continue to be hit hard.

Distrust of the government, as well as 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 not used to expel them.

Governor Tim Walz has acknowledged that mistrust of communities of color has been a problem during the pandemic. Officials offered immunization data disaggregated by race and ethnicity. The state updates the data weekly.

Malcolm, the health commissioner, said the state is committed to doing more to expand access to vaccines for people of color, including getting more doses to community pharmacies, partnering with groups facilities and by deploying mobile vaccination clinics.

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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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Latest developments

COVID blocks Centennial High girls from participating in hockey tournament

COVID-19 quarantine forces team to miss Minnesota high school girls’ hockey tournament.

The Centennial High School girls’ hockey team will not participate in this week’s women’s hockey tournament due to a COVID-19 quarantine, according to the Minnesota State High School League.

The team reported having tested positive.

Section 5AA champion Centennial was due to face Edina on Saturday. The league said it was considering options for a replacement team, but couldn’t make a plan work. As a result, Edina will advance to the next round of the tournament.

– Peter Cox | MPR News

The Twin Cities Marathon is a date for October

Organizers say they are moving forward with Twin Cities Marathon events this fall, including iconic races between downtown Minneapolis and the Capitol. Races were canceled last year due to the pandemic.

Events will be smaller this year, with the marathon only accepting 4,000 entries. “Basically we’re at half of our capacity,” said Virginia Brophy Achman, general manager of the marathon. “It’s a number that we can manage with the space allowed to respect social distancing.

Marathon organizers will urge spectators to stay clear of the race course and restrict access to areas like the finish line, as a precaution against the potential spread of COVID-19.

Registration begins April 8.

– The MPR News team