3 things to know:
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Vaccination rate improves; again it can change
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Incompetent in active cases, but trends are still good
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Overall pandemic statistics look encouraging
Updated: 11:50 am
After the COVID-19 vaccines fell in Minnesota and then collapsed after a surge in late January, it began to recover as general pandemic trends remained encouraging.
The state health department reported about 40,000 new vaccinations on Friday, a significant jump that helped push the seven-day average to levels seen in early February. Officials noted that Minnesota has now put more than 1 million doses of COVID-19 in its arms.
About 13.1 percent of Minnesotans received at least one dose as of Wednesday, with about 5.2 percent completely vaccinated. About 39 percent of Minnesotans 65 and older received at least one shot.
State leaders in public health have stressed in recent weeks that the relatively low amount of vaccine supplies from the federal government is the biggest problem holding back the rate of vaccinations.
Despite Friday’s recurring vaccination numbers, the Department of Health warned this week that the cold grip that grips the country will delay the transportation of vaccines to Minnesota, which could potentially disappoint the vaccinations in the short term.
The department said that about half of the approximately 85,000 doses expected this week would not arrive on time as expected. The state has already postponed the appointments at two community vaccination sites set up Thursday and Friday.
While Friday’s vaccination numbers were positive, Minnesota would only be able to vaccinate about 80 percent of adults by September at the current pace. To make it happen by the summer, the state must deliver 40,000 to 50,000 shots a day or more.
Minnesota is currently 23rd among states in doses administered per 100,000 people, according to data collected by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Overall, Minnesota’s COVID-19 numbers show the condition is on a steady, positive path, with significant pandemic statistics still improving.
Known, active cases numbered more than 7,000, but the overall trend is good, with the numbers flying around the end of September. The seven-day admission trend in hospitals for people with COVID-19 has also dropped to the September level.
There were 282 people with COVID-19 in Minnesota hospitals as of Thursday. It was a second consecutive day of hospitalizations under 300, the first time it has occurred since the fall; 59 people needed intensive care.
Eight people who died Friday increased Minnesota’s toll to 6,412. Among the deceased, about 63 percent lived in long-term care or assistance facilities; most had underlying health problems.
The seven-day average for deaths is up to 7 deaths per day, the lowest since September.
The state has so far recorded 477,287 confirmed or probable cases so far in the pandemic, including 1,001 reported on Friday. About 97 percent of Minnesotans infected with COVID-19 in the pandemic have recovered to the point that they no longer need to be isolated.
The trends provide reasons to feel encouraged, enough so that Gov. Tim Walz announced on Wednesday ‘we are on track to end the pandemic’, as he would reopen secondary schools from Monday. “We beat this thing.”
State health officials continue to monitor new virus strains circulating in the United States, which may be more contagious. Walz and other officials warned that this could lead to an increase in business.
Kris Ehresmann, director of state infectious diseases, on Tuesday confirmed this concern, noting that Minnesota has now confirmed 40 cases of the British strain. “We want to make sure we do not get these variants stuck.”
Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told MPR News on Thursday that the variant is very worrying and that it is unclear whether it evades the immunity to vaccination or natural protection.
Cases spread across age groups, regions
People in their twenties still consist of the age group with the largest number of confirmed cases in the state – more than 90,000 since the pandemic began, including more than 47,000 among people aged 20 to 24.
The number of high school teens confirmed with the disease has also grown, with more than 37,000 cases since the age of 15 to 19 since the pandemic.
Although less likely to experience the worst effects of the disease and eventually be admitted to hospital, experts are concerned that young people will unknowingly spread it among older family members and members of other vulnerable populations.
People can have the coronavirus and spread COVID-19 if they have no symptoms.
Regionally, most parts of Minnesota are significantly lower than late November, early December as well as a January turn.
There has been a recent increase in cases in northwestern Minnesota, although this is still unclear.
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 continues to decline from the end of November, to early December, the data show that Latino people are still being hit hard.
The distrust in the government, coupled with deep-rooted health and economic inequalities, 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 it.
Malcolm also acknowledged on Thursday that it was necessary to ensure that vaccination opportunities were evenly distributed.
Malcolm said the state will soon release data on vaccinations, race and ethnicity. Officials say they are trying to improve the quality of data. According to state law, it is shared voluntarily, so it can be contradictory.
COVID-19 in Minnesota
The data in these graphs are based on the cumulative totals of the Department of Health in Minnesota released daily at 11 p.m. You can find more information about COVID-19 at Website of the Department of Health.
Developments from across the state
Minneapolis lifts bar tone restrictions
The city of Minneapolis lifted its ban on bar counter seating just in time for the weekend.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the decision was based on public health data, showing a decline in COVID-19 cases in the city.
Bars in the city still need reservations, take social distance and no more than two customers can be seated at a bar counter.
Institutions should also reduce the volume of music to prevent customers from speaking loudly and sitting too close to each other.
Last week, citing the progress of vaccines in the state, Gov. Tim Walz loosened some pandemic-related regulations to keep bars open one hour longer until 11 p.m.
– Nina Moini | MPR News
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