Public health leaders in state are expected to brief reporters at 2 p.m.
Updated 11:48
The COVID-19 data from Thursday show that Minnesota continues its relatively positive trend lines on a number of important measures, including new cases and hospitalizations.
The Department of Health reported 1,598 cases of patients who were likely to be confirmed – along with another 43 deaths; 645 people were in the hospital with COVID-19, and 131 needed intensive care.
The number of hospitalizations has dropped by more than half in the past four weeks. The trend to seven days of new hospital admissions is lower than the levels not seen since the end of October. Hospital admissions are now lower than on November 1, but still above their October 1 level.
Although the improving trends look good after a terrible November and December – when cases, hospitalizations and deaths increased – officials still do not believe the state is clear. Public health leaders believe there is likely to be another boom in the coming weeks after the year-end holiday.
Government Tim Walz said in mid-December his COVID-19 viewers were worried about a rise in February. On Monday, Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm slammed Minnesotans for raising daily deaths and the number of cases.
Active, confirmed number of cases is increasing slightly.
“We expect cases to go up again in Minnesota after the annual holidays, and possibly just because of the winter that carries more time indoors and more gatherings,” Malcolm told reporters.
The cases reported Thursday put Minnesota at 441,935 in the pandemic. About 95 percent of them recovered until they no longer needed to be isolated.
The newly reported deaths increased Minnesota’s toll to 5,817. Among the deceased, about 64 percent lived in long-term care or assistance facilities; most had underlying health problems.
Cases spread across age groups, regions
People in their twenties still form the age group with the largest number of confirmed cases in the state – more than 84,000 since the pandemic began, including more than 44,000 among people aged 20 to 24.
The number of high school teens confirmed with the disease has also grown, with more than 34,000 cases since the pandemic between the ages of 15 and 19.
Although less likely to experience the worst effects of the disease and eventually being admitted to hospital, experts are concerned that young people will spread it to older family members and members of other vulnerable populations.
This is of particular concern because humans can have the coronavirus and can spread COVID-19 if they have no symptoms.
A relatively small bump in new cases has occurred across the state.
Popular places keep popping up in rural provinces relative to their population.
Cases are still the heaviest among coloreds
In Minnesota and across the state, COVID-19 hit communities of color excessively hard in both cases and deaths. This is especially true for Minnesotans of Spanish descent for much of the pandemic.
Although the number of new cases has eased since the end of November, in early December, the data show that coloreds are still hit the hardest.
The distrust of the government, coupled with deep-rooted health and economic disparities, has hampered efforts to promote testing among color communities, officials say, especially among unauthorized immigrants who fear their personal information could be used to deport them.
Similar trends were seen among Minnesota natives. In October, the number of indigenous population jumped in proportion to the population.
‘A promise to deliver does not deliver’
Minnesota officials hope the federal government is calling on states to expand the priority pool of people getting COVID-19 vaccinations, meaning more supplies are coming, but they say the feds have not yet supported the calls with no more vaccine deliveries.
Trump administration officials on Tuesday called on states to immediately expand fitness for people 65 and older, as well as people most vulnerable to the disease.
The administration also plans to start distributing vaccine based on a population older than 65 years and the rate of vaccination. Currently, doses are allocated based on the total adult population of a state.
About 430,000 doses have been sent to Minnesota so far to health care providers and the federal vaccine program for long-term care institutions, according to the state’s new COVID-19 information panel website; more than 140,000 Minnesotans have received at least one dose so far.
While Minnesota welcomes more vaccine available to more people sooner, it promises not to deliver, ‘Kris Ehresmann, the state’s director of infectious diseases, told reporters on Tuesday.
The changing federal recommendations could potentially add a few million people who would expect to be vaccinated in Minnesota, she said. “If we only get 60,000 doses a week, it’s going to be a real problem.”
No additional doses were sent or arrived, she added.
“We are ready to receive more vaccine if the feds actually keep their promise,” Ehresmann said. There are currently no additional doses for use. There are no doses to put in the arms to go along with it. ‘
Later Tuesday, Secretary of State Tim Walz said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services had agreed to requests from Minnesota and eight other states to release “millions of doses” withheld for release. However, the exact amount that would go to Minnesota was not detailed.
Developments around the state
MN will remain in peacetime for at least another 30 days
The state will remain in a peacetime position for at least another 30 days.
Government Tim Walz has expanded its COVID-19 executive with the approval of a board of civil servants. The statement he first issued last March enabled his administration to manage the pandemic response. But it has also bothered critics who say he should consult the legislature directly.
Although there has been an improvement in coronavirus trends recently, Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said there are still risks.
‘The conditions remain very fragile and erratic. “We can definitely see and honestly expect to see the increase in cases as economic activity and social interactions increase a bit,” Malcolm said.
– Brian Bakst | MPR News
Top headlines
Small Lawyers in Walz – Where’s the Shots? Minnesota lawmakers are urging government officials to speed up the COVID-19 vaccinations in Minnesota. Government Tim Walz says kinks in the federally controlled distribution system are the main problem.
Will most families return when children’s museums reopen? COVID-19 has improved the functioning of children’s museums. The pandemic forced many of them to close temporarily, including the state’s largest children’s museum in St. Petersburg. Paul. However, after a seven-week break, the museum will open on Thursday.
Schools are ready to reopen, but teachers are not vaccinated: Teachers from some of the largest school districts in the state express concern about returning to personal education and note that they have yet to be vaccinated at a time when the COVID-19 virus is still spreading.
COVID-19 in Minnesota
The data in these graphs are based on the cumulative totals of Minnesota’s Department of Health released daily at 11 p.m. You can find more information about COVID-19 at Website of the Department of Health.
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