Minnesota National Guard
Monday’s Minnesota Department of Health COVID update includes four new deaths and less than 1,000 new cases.
The recently reported deaths bring the state total to 5,711 during the course of the pandemic, of which 64% (3,655) were residents of long-term care facilities, including two of the four reported on Monday.
Minnesota on Saturday night confirmed the first five cases of the UK-based mutant variant of COVID-19, with residents in four Twin Cities counties testing positive for B.1.1.7. variant after falling ill between 16 and 31 December.
Meanwhile, the state reported on Monday that 147,645 people had been vaccinated with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The state received 396,350 doses.
Hospitalizations
As of January 10, the number of people with COVID-19 hospitalized in Minnesota was 686, down from the 787 reported on January 6. It is the lowest number of admissions by COVID since October 28 (680).
Of those hospitalized, 141 (against 130 reported on Friday) were in intensive care and 545 (against 629) were receiving treatment outside the ICU.
Across the state, there were 180 ICU beds available. During the November surge, the state had less than 100 ICU beds available. The number of beds available depends on the number of employees available, so the totals change constantly.
Test rates and positivity
The 980 positive results in Monday’s update were a total of 15,980 tests completed, creating a daily test positivity rate of 6.13%.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the Minnesota test positivity rate for the past seven days is 8.25%, which is returning after dropping to less than 5% just a week ago.
The World Health Organization recommends that a percentage rate of positivity (total positives divided by the total of completed tests) of less than 5% for at least two weeks is necessary to reopen the economy safely. This limit of 5% is based on the total of positives divided by the total of tests.
Coronavirus in Minnesota in numbers
- Total tests: 5,953,863 (over 5,935,902)
- People tested: 3,089,057 (over 3,082,747)
- Positive cases: 437,552 (over 436,572)
- Deaths: 5,711 – 202 of which are “probable *” (above 5,707)
- Patients who no longer need isolation: 417,005 (over 414,756)
- Total people vaccinated: 147,645 (over 132,280)
* Probable deaths are patients who died after a positive test using the COVID-19 antigen test, which is considered less accurate than the most common PCR test.