Dec. 16 update on COVID-19 in MN: 92 more deaths add to grim 7-day toll
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Updated: 3 p.m.
Minnesota officials on Wednesday reported another 92 COVID-19 deaths, extending an already awful December — 982 deaths posted in the first 16 days of the month, atop more than 1,100 deaths recorded in November.
The newest data marked one of the highest single-day counts in the pandemic, a reality check after a couple days of relatively moderate death counts. Reported deaths are averaging nearly 67 per day over the past seven days, a sad new record.
The grim numbers were balanced out somewhat by the fact that new daily caseloads and hospital admissions continue to slow from their late November, early December highs.
The Health Department on Wednesday posted 2,279 newly confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases, a relatively moderate number, although it came on low testing. The agency said 1,277 people remain in the hospital with COVID-19 as of Tuesday, with 304 needing intensive care.
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Despite those improving metrics, officials have continued to warn that Minnesota is not out of the woods yet.
The death toll is still awful. More than 2,100 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in the past six weeks. That’s nearly half of all the deaths in the pandemic.
The Health Department’s newest tally of confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases put the pandemic total at 386,412. In about 92 percent of those cases, people have recovered to the point they no longer need to be isolated.
The deaths reported Wednesday raised Minnesota’s toll to 4,575. Among those who’ve died, about two-thirds had been living in long-term care or assisted living facilities; most had underlying health problems.
Caseloads spread across age groups
People in their 20s still make up the age bracket with the state’s largest number of confirmed cases — more than 74,000 since the pandemic began, including nearly 40,000 among people ages 20 to 24.
The number of high school-age children confirmed with the disease has also grown, with more than 30,000 total cases among children ages 15 to 19 since the pandemic began.
Although less likely to feel the worst effects of the disease and end up hospitalized, experts worry youth and young adults will spread it to grandparents and other vulnerable populations.
It’s especially concerning because people can have the coronavirus and spread COVID-19 when they don’t have symptoms.
New cases ebb in rural Minnesota
Central and western Minnesota drove much of the increase in new cases over the past five weeks, while Hennepin and Ramsey counties showed some of the slowest case growth in the state.
After a spike in confirmed cases through much of November and early December, all regions of the state have seen new case numbers plateau or fall.
Hot spots continue to pop up in rural counties relative to their population.
New caseloads still heaviest among people of color
In Minnesota and across the country, COVID-19 has hit communities of color disproportionately hard in both cases and deaths. That’s been especially true for Minnesotans of Hispanic descent for much of the pandemic.
Even as new case counts ease from their peak a few weeks ago, the data shows people of color continue to be hit hardest.
Distrust of the government, together with deeply rooted health and economic disparities, have hampered efforts to boost testing among communities of color, officials say, especially among unauthorized immigrants who fear their personal information may be used to deport them.
Similar trends have been seen among Minnesota’s Indigenous residents. Counts among Indigenous people jumped in October relative to population.
Officials continue to plead with Minnesotans to wear masks in public gathering spaces, socially distance, stay home if they don’t feel well and otherwise stay vigilant against the spread of COVID-19.
No sign yet of Thanksgiving celebrations surge
Officials have been anticipating another wave of climbing caseloads and hospitalizations soon originating from Thanksgiving holiday celebrations. But it hasn’t happened yet.
State public health leaders last week said they were somewhat hopeful that many families heeded the public pleas to not gather in big groups for Thanksgiving, and so the worst-case scenarios of a post-holiday surge might not materialize.
But they’ve also cautioned that it’s too soon to say a Thanksgiving celebration surge will not happen.
While the drops in cases and hospital admissions are encouraging, “we’re still way above what is considered a more manageable rate of growth in cases,” Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm told reporters Tuesday.
“We’re still in a volatile state, a risky state,” she added. “Rapid case growth can happen at these levels.”
Officials say they’ve been working to balance the recent improvement in conditions with the reality that the pandemic isn’t over.
They continue to urge Minnesotans to do all they can — wearing masks in public gathering spaces, socially distancing and staying home if you don’t feel well — to guard against the spread of the disease.
Walz unveils changes to state’s COVID-19 orders:
Walz and state officials take reporter questions:
Developments around the state
Minnesota businesses plan to defy shutdown order and reopen
More than a hundred businesses statewide are planning to reopen Wednesday as direct defiance of Gov. Tim Walz’s COVID-19 restrictions.
The group ReOpen Minnesota Coalition is encouraging businesses statewide to reopen as many are struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic.
The group's Darius Tiechroew said bars restaurants and gyms statewide are at risk of closing permanently under the governor's executive order and owners can’t support their families and employees. He also said the just-approved $216 million legislative aid package is only a short-term and temporary fix for a bigger problem.
"It may delay the demise of their business and their livelihoods. A week or two. But that's it," he said. "A lot of these places can't afford to wait another week or two."
— Hannah Yang | MPR News
State suspends liquor license for bar that continued in-person service
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety on Sunday suspended the liquor license of an East Grand Forks, Minn., bar that had been operating in violation of state COVID-19 restrictions.
The Boardwalk Bar and Grill reopened to in-person service last week. Owner Jane Moss said her business would go under if she could not serve patrons in person.
The 60-day liquor license suspension announced Sunday is set to expire in February; another violation could result in a five-year license revocation.
The action follows a temporary restraining order issued Friday by a Polk County District Court judge, ordering the bar to close to in-person service.
Representatives of a group called the Reopen Minnesota Coalition told KARE-TV on Friday that dozens of businesses plan to defy the governor's order in the coming week.
— MPR News Staff
Top headlines
Walz adjusts COVID-19 dial-back plan through holiday season; here’s what you need to know: Gov. Tim Walz announced Wednesday he’s extending some of the restrictions on businesses and social gathering that went into effect ahead of Thanksgiving. Other restrictions will ease or be lifted. Here’s what you need to know.
Minnesota elementary schools can reopen Jan. 18: Gov. Tim Walz is giving elementary schools across the state the green light to reopen next month if they adopt a number of strategies to contain the spread of the coronavirus. It’s a shift from previous policy, which required districts to rely on county-level data about the level of virus transmission in their communities to guide their reopening plans.
COVID vaccine arrives first for Native nations in Minn.: As the coronavirus vaccine makes its way to states and tribal nations across the country, health care workers on reservations across Minnesota were among the first to be vaccinated. The director of the federal Indian Health Service visited the White Earth Nation Tuesday to see the vaccine distribution in action.
A pandemic guide to holiday festivities: There will be no in-person “Christmas Carol” at the Guthrie Theater this year, and Clara and the nutcracker will only be visiting the Land of Sweets in our dreams (or on our screens). While 2020’s celebrations may be at a distance, there are still plenty of opportunities for festive holiday activities.
COVID-19 in Minnesota
Data in these graphs are based on the Minnesota Department of Health's cumulative totals released at 11 a.m. daily. You can find more detailed statistics on COVID-19 at the Health Department website.