MN COVID-19 Breaking News: Vaccinations Continue As Key Indicators Show Improvement

3 things to know:

• More than 675,000 Minnesota residents received at least one dose of vaccine

• 2 new deaths reported on Monday; 611 new cases registered

• The test’s positivity rate is at the lowest level since last summer

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Updated: 11:53 am

Key metrics for COVID-19 in Minnesota continue to improve as the number of state residents who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine exceeds 675,000.

The Minnesota Department of Health reported two deaths on Monday, the lowest since February 1, bringing the seven-day average to just below 11 deaths per day. The state has also registered 611 new confirmed cases.

The test’s positivity rate also remained stable at 2.9%, which is just above Minnesota’s low of 2.76% on June 20, 2020.

Vaccinations against COVID-19 are increasing week by week, leading to a gradual upward trend in the state’s average daily vaccination rate. More than 12% of Minnesotans have received at least their first injection of the vaccine, data showed through Saturday.

The increase in vaccinations is extremely concentrated in older Minnesotans, of whom nearly a third have received at least one injection.

Just over 4 percent of Minnesota residents of all ages received both doses to complete their immunizations.

In total, nearly 915,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered in the state.

The state is at an all-time high for the number of doses administered within three days of receipt by providers, although the state is just below its goal of 90% of doses within three days.

Minnesota ranked 24th among states on Sunday for doses administered per 100,000 population, according to data collected by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was up from the 28th Saturday. With the increase in federal vaccine shipments, the pace of vaccinations could increase in the coming days.

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.

Public health officials continue to monitor new strains of the virus circulating in the United States, which may be more contagious. Officials have warned they could lead to an increase in 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 – more than 89,000 since the start of the pandemic, including more than 47,000 among those aged 20 to 24.

The number of high school age youth confirmed with the disease has also increased, with more than 36,000 total cases among those aged 15 to 19 since the start of the pandemic.

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

People can have the coronavirus and spread COVID-19 when they don’t have symptoms.

Something to watch out for: There has been an increase in cases in northwest Minnesota recently, although it’s not yet clear why. All other areas of the state have seen fewer cases.

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 continues to decline from their highs in late November and early December, data shows Latin Americans continue to be hit hard.

Mistrust 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 used to deport them.

Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm also recognized on Thursday the need to ensure that vaccination opportunities are distributed fairly.

Malcolm said the state will release data regarding vaccinations, race and ethnicity soon. Officials say they are trying to improve the quality of the data. According to state law, it was shared voluntarily and therefore may be inconsistent.

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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

St. Cloud VA begins vaccinating essential workers

The St. Cloud VA healthcare system is now offering the COVID-19 vaccine to veterans who are also essential frontline workers.

The St. Cloud VA has immunized its healthcare workers, long-term care residents and veterans aged 75 and older. Now, VA officials are planning vaccines for registered veterans who are essential front-line workers, regardless of their age or health. They include first responders, teachers, grocery stores, postal workers, correctional officers, and those working in the food, agriculture, manufacturing, and transit industries.

JD Anderson, chief of pharmacy at St. Cloud, said he has seen strong interest among veterans in obtaining the vaccine.

“I think we’ve had two no-shows in the last two days, even though we’ve had steady temperatures below zero,” Anderson said. “We have a very robust group who are very keen to get vaccinated.”

Anderson added that the VA is preparing to move into the next phase, which includes veterans 65 and older and those with underlying health conditions.

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Walz’s emergency powers extended by another month again

DFL Governor Tim Walz has again extended his emergency powers to coordinate Minnesota’s response to the pandemic.

The latest extension until March 15 means Minnesota will be in a peacetime emergency for at least a year.

Walz said his fellow Democrats who control the House were ready to tackle issues such as a statewide mandate. But he said Republicans who control the state Senate have refused to act, leaving him no choice but to issue executive orders.

“If I don’t want hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans deported, if I’m not able to order PPE and move the National Guard to administer the vaccine, this would all come to an end if the emergency orders used by 49 governors out of 50 are brought back, ”said the governor.

Walz first signed a decree last March that allows him to speed up contracts, mobilize the National Guard and make other unilateral decisions to manage the pandemic. In his latest order, Walz said the rise in immunization and recent infection trends gave him hope the pandemic was starting to subside.

– Brian Bakst and Mark Zdechlik | MPR News

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Main titles

Minnesota is playing catch-up to get seniors of color vaccinated: Minnesota is trying to solve two problems at once: getting as many older people vaccinated as possible as quickly as possible, while ensuring that the racial and ethnic communities hardest hit by the virus have access to vaccines.

The Portrait project highlights community ties during the pandemic: Katie Howie photographed over 115 people for her project “By a Thread: Pandemic Portraits”. She describes the project as a living story because the people she photographs also share their thoughts on their lives during the pandemic.