Dec. 27 update on COVID in MN: Test positivity rate over past week drops below 5 percent
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Key metrics used to track the spread of the coronavirus in Minnesota continued to move in a positive direction on Sunday.
The Minnesota Department of Health’s Sunday update included two days’ worth of data, because of reporting delays over the Christmas holiday. But the numbers weren’t all that much different than recent single-day reports.
Sunday's two-day update showed 2,534 new cases from more than 88,000 test results — compared to 2,170 cases from about 53,000 tests in Saturday's single-day update.
Averaged over the past week, the test positivity rate in Minnesota has now dropped to about 4.7 percent — below the 5 percent threshold state officials have said is cause for concern.
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The last time that weekly average positivity rate was below 5 percent was in the first week of October.
The average number of new COVID cases and hospital admissions each day in Minnesota are at their lowest levels in nearly two months.
But amid the encouraging news, the death toll continued to rise. State health officials reported 40 more COVID-19 deaths on Sunday — including 27 residents of long-term care facilities.
The overall pandemic death toll in Minnesota is now 5,147 — including 3,332 residents of long-term care facilities, or about 65 percent of the overall toll.
The latest two-day death toll is well below Minnesota’s recent average of more than 50 COVID deaths a day — but it wasn’t clear whether the holiday may have affected reporting.
Here are Minnesota’s current COVID-19 statistics; Sunday’s update included two days’ worth of data:
5,107 deaths (40 reported Sunday)
409,061 positive cases (2,534 new reported Sunday), with 388,919 off isolation (95 percent)
5.5 million tests, 2.9 million people tested (about 51 percent of the population)
4.7 percent seven-day positive test rate (officials find 5 percent concerning)
The number of active, confirmed cases in Minnesota dropped below 15,000 on Sunday — down from more than 50,000 at its peak in November, and the lowest it’s been since late October.
Even as they applaud the improving picture on caseloads and hospitalizations, state public health leaders have continued to warn that conditions could change dramatically if people don’t stay vigilant during the year-end holidays.
They’re imploring people to wear masks in indoor gathering spaces, socially distance and take other measures to help curb the spread of COVID-19.
“We’re still in a situation where there’s just a lot of virus circulating in the community,” Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said Wednesday.
Malcolm praised Minnesotans for heeding the guidance on public gatherings and social distancing and said vaccinations will help even more. But she cautioned that it doesn’t mean Minnesota can let down its guard.
The state must still take precautions “to help the vaccine do its job,” Malcolm said. “This is important not just to protect yourself and your immediately family but protecting your neighbors or people in your community you don’t even know.”
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 78,000 since the pandemic began, including more than 41,000 among people ages 20 to 24.
The number of high school-age youth confirmed with the disease has also grown, with more than 31,000 total cases among those 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 across Minnesota
Central and western Minnesota drove much of the increase in new cases over the past two months, while Hennepin and Ramsey counties showed some of the slowest case growth in the state.
Cases continue to fall statewide, but still haven’t dipped down to their levels before the state’s COVID-19 surge that hit in November and early December. Controlling for testing volume, the case positivity rate is falling in almost every county in Minnesota. Even the state’s most populous, Hennepin and Ramsey counties, have had a positivity rate below 5 percent over the past week.
After a spike in confirmed cases through much of November and early December, all regions of the state have seen new case numbers fall.
Hot spots continue to pop up in rural counties relative to their population.
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.
Developments around the state
Walz extends pay cut for himself and his chief of staff
Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday he’s adding six months to a 10 percent pay cut that he and his chief of staff are taking during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In April, Walz imposed a pay cut for himself and agency commissioners to save the state money and show solidarity with people struggling due to restrictions he imposed. Those were set to expire next week.
A new executive order leaves the 10 percent pay cut in place for only two people: Walz and chief of staff Chris Schmitter. Walz earns $127,000 a year; Schmitter makes about $140,000. The Cabinet-level pay will return to prior levels.
Walz said agency heads are working longer hours to manage the pandemic. Minnesota’s budget situation has also improved.
Walz also signed an executive order allowing out-of-state pharmacists to help administer the COVID-19 vaccine because of staffing strains among Minnesota pharmacists.
— Brian Bakst | MPR News
Top headlines
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MSU Mankato addresses hunger on campus with free groceries now, food pantry in the spring: As COVID-19 continues to exacerbate the needs of people in Minnesota, including food access and hunger, those problems can also be found on college campuses. At Minnesota State University, Mankato, the college is stepping in to feed its students.
Minnesotans plan for expected federal relief payment: Most Minnesotans are expecting more COVID-19 relief money from the federal government, even as President Donald Trump floats the possibility of vetoing the stimulus package congressional Republicans and Democrats finally settled on. The president says direct payments should be more than three times larger than the $600 the House and Senate came up with.
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.