Latest news on COVID-19 in MN: waiting for a new wave of vaccination

Officials, however, are increasingly worried about the growth of cases linked to the highly contagious variant of UK COVID-19 and youth sports.

More than 850,000 people – about 15.3% of the state’s population – have completed their vaccinations, while more than 1.4 million – 25.7% – have received at least one dose, including about 79% of people aged 65 and over.

Uptick in active cases; regional epidemics concerning

Disease conditions remain relatively stable compared to the late fall surge – but the warning lights are flashing.

The number of known and active cases is increasing again. Monday’s data showed 10,315 active cases, marking four consecutive days with active counts above 10,000, a stretch not seen since late January.

Although the current numbers are still low compared to late November and early December, the increase is notable given concerns about the increase in the so-called UK COVID-19 strain. State health officials have said they suspect the UK variant is driving the current recovery.

Hospitalizations are still low compared to the late fall surge, but those numbers are also increasing. Department of Health data showed 318 people with COVID-19 in Minnesota hospitals on Sunday; 77 required intensive care.

With no deaths reported Monday, Minnesota’s collective toll remained at 6,782. Of those who died, about 63% were living in long-term care facilities or assisted living facilities; most had underlying health problems.

The state has recorded a total of 506,376 confirmed or probable cases in the pandemic so far, with 1,152 reported on Monday. 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.

Cases distributed across age groups and regions

People in their 20s are still the age group with the most confirmed cases in the state – more than 94,000 since the start of the pandemic, including more than 49,000 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 may unknowingly pass it on to older parents and members of other vulnerable populations. People with coronavirus can spread it when they don’t have symptoms.

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

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

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.

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, 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 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.

Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm 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 local groups and deploying mobile vaccination clinics.

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.

Latest developments

Opening of a new vaccination site in Mankato

The state of Minnesota will open a seventh permanent community COVID-19 vaccination site in Mankato this week.

The site will be at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in downtown Mankato. It joins existing COVID-19 vaccination sites in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, Rochester, St. Cloud and Duluth.

These state sites are only an option for eligible Minnesotans to obtain the vaccine, as well as pharmacies, clinics, and pop-up vaccination events. More information is available on the state’s Vaccine Connector website.

– The MPR News team