Credit: New Jersey National Guard via Flickr
Friday’s Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) COVID update includes 1,114 new cases and 28 new deaths.
The recently reported deaths bring the state total to 6,168 in the course of the pandemic. Of these deaths, 63.4% (3,911) were residents of long-term care facilities, including 11 of the 28 reported on Friday
The new deaths included two people aged 45-49 in Anoka and Hennepin County.
As of January 27, the state reported that 345,636 people had received at least 1 dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine – an increase of more than 25,000 the previous day – while 96,842 people completed the two doses of the vaccine needed for the vaccines’ full effect – one increase of more than 11,500.
MDH has a public panel to monitor the progress of the vaccine in Minnesota, and you can view it here.
Two new variants of the coronavirus have been confirmed in Minnesota, including the first known case of the Brazil P.1 variant in the United States. This case involves a Minnesotan who recently traveled to Brazil. There are 8 confirmed cases of variant B.1.1.7. The two new strains are believed to be more transmissible.
Hospitalizations
As of January 28, the number of people with COVID-19 hospitalized in Minnesota was 450. Of those hospitalized, 95 were in intensive care and 355 were receiving treatment outside the ICU.
Across the state, there were 166 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 1,114 positive results in Friday’s update were 44,777 tests completed, creating a daily test positivity rate of 2.48%.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the Minnesota test positivity rate for the past seven days is 4.08%, making it one of the lowest rates in the country.
The World Health Organization recommends that a percentage rate of positivity (total positives divided by the total of completed tests) below 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: 6,513,797 (above 6,467,868)
- People tested: 3,244,005 (above 3,233,070)
- People with at least 1 vaccine injection: 345,636 on January 27 (up from 320,347)
- Positive cases: 459,747 (over 458,633)
- Deaths: 6,168 – 247 of which are “probable *” (above 6,140)
- Patients who no longer need isolation: 443,253 (over 442,600)
* 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.