Latest on COVID-19 in MN: Waiting for another vaccination spike

3 things to know

• Nearly 26 percent of Minnesota residents have at least one dose of vaccine

• 15 percent of state residents completed vaccination

• Counting of active cases, increase in hospitalizations

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Minnesota saw something on Monday that it had not seen for almost a year – a day without reports of COVID-19’s death. It was the first time in a non-holiday daily report since mid-April.

It was a welcome reminder that conditions continue to improve, despite frustrations with the current rate of vaccination and concerns about another possible increase in COVID-19 across the state. The race now is to vaccinate the Minnesotans quickly enough so that it doesn’t happen.

Here are the ones from Minnesota current COVID-19 statistics:

• 6,782 deaths (new zero)

• 506,376 positive cases; 97 percent out of isolation

• 25.7 percent of Minnesota residents with at least one dose of vaccine

• 78.9 percent of Minnesotans 65 and older with at least one dose of vaccine

The Health Department reported about 32,600 more vaccinations on Monday. The seven-day trend is now running around 41,000 photos a day, more or less what it has been in recent weeks.

The steady pace may end up being just a short-term concern. Minnesota expects to see federal vaccine shipments rise soon.

The authorities, however, are increasingly anxious about the growing number of cases linked to the highly contagious UK variant COVID-19 and youth sports.

More than 850,000 people – about 15.3% of the state’s population – completed their vaccines, while more than 1.4 million – 25.7% – received at least one dose, including about 79% of people aged 65 or over most.

Uptick in active cases; regional outbreaks on

The conditions of the disease remain relatively stable compared to the peak of late autumn – but the warning lights are blinking.

The number of known and active cases is increasing again. Monday’s data showed 10,315 active cases, marking four consecutive days with asset counts over 10,000, a stretch not seen since late January.

Although current counts are still low compared to late November and early December, the increase is notable, given concerns about the rise in the UK’s so-called COVID-19 strain. State health officials said they suspected the UK variant was driving the current recovery.

Hospitalizations are still low compared to the peak of late autumn, but those counts are also increasing. Department of Health data showed 318 people with COVID-19 in Minnesota hospitals on Sunday; 77 needed intensive care.

With no deaths reported on Monday, the collective death toll in Minnesota remained at 6,782. Among those who died, about 63 percent lived in long-term care facilities or assisted living facilities; most had latent health problems.

The state has recorded 506,376 confirmed or probable total cases so far in the pandemic, including 1,152 reported on Monday. About 97% of Minnesota residents known to be infected with COVID-19 in the pandemic have recovered to the point that they no longer need to be isolated.

Cases spread across age groups, regions

People in their 20s still make up the age group with the highest number of confirmed cases in the state – more than 94,000 since the start of the pandemic, including more than 49,000 among those aged 20 to 24.

The number of school-age youth confirmed with the disease has also grown, with more than 40,000 total cases among those aged 15 to 19 since the start of the pandemic.

With children increasingly returning to school buildings and sports, Minnesota public health officials are encouraging Minnesota families with children to take the COVID-19 test every two weeks until the end of the school year.

Although young people are less likely to experience the worst effects of the disease and end up hospitalized, experts fear that young people will spread the disease unknowingly to older relatives and members of other vulnerable populations. Those with the coronavirus can pass it on when they have no symptoms.

Regionally, all parts of Minnesota are in significantly better shape than they were in late November and early December. Some areas are experiencing an increase in cases.

Public health leaders continue to closely monitor critical points on the Twin Cities subway in the southwest – specifically in Carver and Scott counties – as well as in the Mankato area and the eastern strip of Iron, centered around the city of Aurora.

The state is recommending that young people across the state be tested every two weeks for COVID-19, with student athletes tested weekly; authorities are also asking everyone in Carver County to take the test.

Number of cases among people of color

In Minnesota and across the country, COVID-19 hit communities of color disproportionately in cases and deaths. This was especially true for Minnesota residents of Hispanic descent during much of the pandemic.

Even with the count of new cases following well below the peaks of late November, early December, the data shows that Latinos continue to be hit hard.

Mistrust in the government, along with deep-seated health and economic disparities, has hampered efforts to increase testing among communities of color, officials say, especially among unauthorized immigrants who fear that their personal information may be used to deport them.

Governor Tim Walz acknowledged that distrust of communities of color has been a problem during the pandemic. The authorities provided some data on vaccinations broken down by race and ethnicity. The state is updating the data weekly.

Health commissioner Jan Malcolm said the state is committed to doing more to expand access to the vaccine for people of color, including providing more doses to community pharmacies, partnering with local groups and setting up mobile vaccination clinics.

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COVID-19 in Minnesota

The data in these graphs are based on the Minnesota Department of Health cumulative totals released daily at 11 am You can find more detailed statistics on COVID-19 at Department of Health website.

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Latest developments

Inauguration of a new vaccination post in Mankato

The state of Minnesota will open a seventh permanent vaccination site for the COVID-19 community this week in Mankato.

The venue 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.

These state sites are just an option for Minnesotans eligible 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 team