ST PAUL, Minn. — Monday, March 22
- No new COVID-19 deaths reported Monday; new cases back over 1,000
- Study: AstraZeneca vaccine is 79% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID, 100% effective in stopping severe disease and hospitalization.
- MDH: More than 25% of Minnesotans have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose
- Mankato gets COVID-19 community vaccination site
- Gov. Walz, Lt. Gov. Flanagan, MDH Commissioner Malcolm in quarantine after potential COVID exposure
Numbers released Monday by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reflect another day of new COVID cases over the 1,000 mark.
MDH says 1,152 cases were recorded in the last day, bringing the state total to 506,376 since the start of the pandemic. The new cases are based on results from 19,381 tests (18,001 PCR, 1,280 antigen) processed in private and state labs. Health officials consider a positive PCR test a confirmed COVID case, while a positive antigen test is labeled probable.
In a piece of good news, no new deaths were reported to the state in the last day. That leaves total fatalities at 6,782, and of those deaths 4,248, or 63% of them are tied to assisted living or long-term care settings.
Minnesota's vaccination effort is unfolding steadily, with 1,430,349 people having received at least one dose of COVID vaccine as of Saturday. That's 25.7% of the state's 5.6 million people. The vaccine dashboard says 850,829 people have completed the two-shot series and are completely vaccinated.
On Saturday, the most recent day of data available, 13,766 doses of vaccine were administered.
Total hospitalizations are up to 26,661 since the virus arrived in Minnesota, with 5,494 of those patients requiring ICU care. Currently 318 people are being treated for COVID on an in-patient basis in hospitals across the state. Of those currently hospitalized, 77 are in ICU. Bed availability in the Twin Cities has seen an uptick the past couple of days, with 4.3% of non-ICU beds open for incoming patients.
MDH says 489,279 people who at one time tested positive for coronavirus have made enough progress that they no longer require isolation.
The number of young adults between 20 and 24 diagnosed with COVID is nearing 50,000. From that age group 49,883 have tested positive for the virus, and three have died. The larges grouping of fatalities involves those between 85 and 89, with 1,284 in 6,439 diagnosed cases.
Hennepin County has recorded the most COVID activity in the state with 105,097 cases and 1,633 deaths, followed by Ramsey County with 44,364 cases and 833 deaths, Dakota County with 38,159 cases and 404 deaths, and Anoka County with 34,611 and 404 fatalities. Those counties are Minnesota's most populated, in order.
Cook County has seen the fewest cases with 135, but that number has been growing bigger in recent days.
Sunday, March 21
11 a.m.
Minnesota has passed a vaccine milestone: just over 25% of the state's population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
That percentage is made up of 1,408,601 people. The Minnesota Department of Health said 839,860 of those people are fully vaccinated -- just over 15% of the state's population. Those numbers, reported by MDH on Sunday, are accurate as of Friday.
As for other new COVID-19 data, MDH reported 956 new COVID-19 cases Sunday, along with five new deaths. That follows four consecutive days of new case totals above 1,000.
MDH's COVID-19 case definition includes both antigen testing and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Positive PCR test results are considered confirmed cases, while positive antigen test results are considered probable cases.
Sunday's new case total includes 810 confirmed cases and 146 probable cases.
The total number of Minnesotans who have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began is now 505,224, with 27,335 of those as antigen test results.
MDH says five new deaths from the virus were reported. That pushes the total number of fatalities in Minnesota to 6,782.
To date, 26,651 Minnesotans have been hospitalized with the coronavirus since the pandemic started, with 5,493 of them needing care in the ICU.
MDH reports that 488,156 people once diagnosed with the virus have passed the point where they are required to isolate.