March 21 update on COVID-19 in MN: More than a quarter of Minnesotans have at least one vaccine dose
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3 things to know
More than a quarter of Minnesotans have at least one vaccine dose
15 percent of state residents have completed vaccination
Average daily case counts remain near highest since late January
More than a quarter of Minnesota residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, state health officials announced Sunday.
That’s more than 1.4 million people. More than 15 percent of state residents have completed their vaccinations, whether that’s the two-dose Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Those encouraging milestones come as the overall vaccination pace has remained fairly flat. Averaged over the past week, the number of vaccinations each day in Minnesota ticked upward to about 41,137 as of Sunday’s update.
That average had reached a record high of more than 43,000 a week ago.
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And the latest vaccination news also comes as newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in Minnesota have trended upward in recent weeks. Minnesota saw 956 more cases reported in Sunday’s update — that’s fewer than were reported last Sunday, but average case counts each day remain near their highest point in two months.
State officials have said they believe COVID-19 variants are driving the recent case increases in Minnesota, and they’re urging people to stay vigilant — wearing masks and following physical distancing guidelines.
Here are Minnesota’s current COVID-19 statistics:
6,782 deaths (5 new)
505,224 positive cases; 97 percent off isolation
25.3 percent of Minnesotans with at least 1 vaccine dose
78.6 percent of Minnesotans 65 and older with at least 1 vaccine dose
While the state’s made progress in vaccinations, especially among those age 65 and older, it hasn’t yet vaccinated enough people to establish a herd immunity, and there’s a danger of another surge.
“We are in a race between the variants and the vaccine, and the decisions we all make in the next few weeks will have a lot to say about the outcome of this race,” Kris Ehresmann, the state’s infectious disease director, told reporters Friday. “We need to be cautious a little while longer.”
Vaccination pace remains flat
State health officials reported 59,325 more vaccinations on Sunday, more than was reported the previous Sunday. The seven-day trend remains above 41,000 shots daily, but relatively flat. State officials have said vaccine supplies are expected to jump soon.
Case counts and hospitalizations, however, have trended upward recently, reinforcing the belief that Minnesota’s in a race now to vaccinate people quickly enough to avoid another statewide COVID-19 surge.
Nearly 840,000 people — about 15.1 percent of the state’s population — have completed their vaccinations, while more than 1.4 million — 25.3 percent — have received at least one dose, including more than 78 percent of people age 65 and older.
Minnesota anticipates getting 350,000 doses the week of March 29, Gov. Tim Walz said Friday. Starting in April, officials also expect the feds to deliver 100,000 doses a week of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which requires only one dose.
Active cases up; Carver Co., Iron Range hot spots
Minnesota’s COVID-19 numbers show disease conditions relatively stable compared to the late fall surge, but there are caution lights flashing.
There has been a noticeable rise recently in the count of known, active cases — that’s the number of people who still need to self-isolate after a confirmed COVID-19 case. Sunday’s data shows 10,286 active cases, marking 10 consecutive days with active counts above 8,000, a stretch not seen since late January.
While current counts are still low compared to late November and early December, the increase is notable given the concerns about the rise of the U.K. COVID-19 strain. Ehresmann said her agency suspects the U.K. variant is driving the current upswing.
Hospitalizations are still low compared to the late-fall surge, but those counts have also creeped up in recent days.
Five newly reported deaths brought Minnesota’s collective toll to 6,782. Among those who’ve died, about 63 percent had been living in long-term care or assisted living facilities; most had underlying health problems.
The state has recorded 505,224 total confirmed or probable cases so far in the pandemic, including 956 posted Sunday. About 97 percent 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 leaders continue to keep close watch on a Carver County area outbreak tied to the U.K. strain and to youth sports.
The state is recommending young people across the state be tested every two weeks for COVID-19, with student athletes tested weekly; officials are also asking everyone in Carver County to get tested.
The Health Department on Thursday also warned of “dramatic increases” in COVID-19 cases in the eastern end of Minnesota’s Iron Range centered around the town of Aurora. It didn’t say how many cases but officials will open a free testing site in Aurora on Monday and Tuesday.
Ehresmann also mentioned a hot spot now in and around Mankato.
As of Friday, there were some 317 cases of the U.K. variant confirmed statewide, she added. Twelve people have been hospitalized statewide from that strain; two have died.
Cases spread across age groups, regions
People in their 20s still make up the age bracket with the state’s largest number of confirmed cases — more than 94,000 since the pandemic began, including more than 49,000 among those ages 20 to 24.
The number of high school-age youth confirmed with the disease has also grown, with more than 40,000 total cases among those ages 15 to 19 since the pandemic began.
With kids 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 now until the end of the school year.
Although young people are less likely to feel the worst effects of the disease and end up hospitalized, experts worry youth will spread it unknowingly to older relatives and members of other vulnerable populations.
People can have the coronavirus and spread COVID-19 when they don’t have symptoms.
Regionally, all parts of Minnesota are in significantly better shape than they were in late November and early December. Some areas are seeing upticks in cases.
While officials monitor the recent uptick in active cases, overall trends have improved to the point where Walz last week announced a rollback of many of the state’s remaining pandemic restrictions. “Normalcy is on the horizon,” the governor said.
But it’s not quite there yet. On Wednesday, Walz said that he, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm were quarantining because of possible COVID-19 exposure.
Caseloads 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 continue to track well below their late November, early December peaks, the data shows Latino people continue to be hit hard.
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.
Walz has acknowledged that distrust by communities of color has been a problem during the pandemic. Officials have offered up some data on vaccinations broken down by race and ethnicity. The state is updating the data weekly.
Malcolm has said the state is committed to doing more to expand vaccine access to people of color, including getting more doses to community pharmacies, partnering with local groups and deploying mobile vaccination clinics.
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.
Latest developments
New vaccination site opening in Mankato
The state of Minnesota will open a seventh permanent COVID-19 community vaccination site this week in Mankato.
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.
Those state sites are just one option for eligible Minnesotans to get the vaccine, along with pharmacies, clinics and pop-up vaccination events. More information is available on the state's Vaccine Connector website.
— MPR News staff
North Dakota to expand vaccination pool to general public this month
North Dakota health officials say that vaccinations for the coronavirus will be available to the general public beginning March 29.
The state says some regions of the state could move into the Phase 2 vaccination phase even sooner. Health care workers, long-term care residents and staff, and older adults were the first to be vaccinated.
The state’s Health Department said as of Friday, almost 195,000 people in North Dakota had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. There were 119 new cases of the coronavirus reported Friday, and one new death.
— Associated Press
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