ST PAUL, Minn. — Tuesday, June 1
- MDH Tuesday numbers impacted by Memorial Day holiday
- 'Cheers for the Vaccine' campaign offers beer, cocktails for new vaccinations
- Gov. Walz announces vaccine incentives in Minnesota
- State Fairgrounds vaccination site begins Johnson & Johnson vaccinations; walk-in appointments available until June 8
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is reporting just 134 new COVID-19 cases across the state, in data impacted by the Memorial Day holiday.
Because there were no numbers gathered or reported Monday, MDH says data shared on Tuesday will include Monday's report.
The department expects to be current with its data by Wednesday.
The new reported COVID infections are based on 9,748 tests (8,842 PCR, 906 antigen) processed in private and state labs, a low testing volume also likely impacted by the holiday weekend. Health experts consider a positive PCR test a confirmed COVID case, while a positive antigen test is considered probable.
Minnesota is now up to a total of 601,517 COVID cases since the pandemic began, with 43,387 of them based on antigen tests. Hennepin County, the state's most populous county, has recorded the most COVID activity with 124,283 cases and 1,752 deaths, followed by Ramsey County with 52,219 cases and 888 deaths, Dakota County with 46,591 cases and 464 deaths, and Anoka County with 42,496 cases and 452 fatalities.
One new COVID death was reported, bringing fatalities to 7,427. Of those deaths 4,434 (60%) are tied to long-term care or assisted living settings.
Hospitalizations for the virus dipped well below the 300 mark as of Saturday, with 249 people across the state being treated for COVID on an inpatient basis, 79 of them in ICU. Total hospitalizations are at 32,059 since the virus arrived in March of 2020.
MDH says 590,814 people who at one point tested positive for COVID-19 have improved to the point they no longer need to be isolated.
The number of Minnesotans who have received at least one dose of COVID vaccine is inching closer to the 3 million mark, reported at 2,926,302 as of Friday (64.6% of those eligible). The Walz administration introduced a number of incentives last week in an effort to jumpstart that number and reach 70% by July 1.
Health officials say 58.9% of those currently eligible (2,597,333 people) have completed the COVID shot series and are considered fully vaccinated. A total of 5,298,997 doses have been administered.
Sunday, May 30
11 a.m.
After two days in a row below 400, Minnesota's newly-reported cases dipped below 300 Sunday.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported 287 new COVID-19 cases Sunday and 8 additional deaths. The total number of fatalities in Minnesota is 7,434.
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 238 confirmed cases and 49 probable cases.
The total number of Minnesotans who have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began is now 601,384, with 43,372 of those as antigen test results.
To date, 32,056 Minnesotans have been hospitalized with the coronavirus since the pandemic started, with 6,503 of them needing care in the ICU.
MDH reports that 590,178 people once diagnosed with the virus have passed the point where they are required to isolate.
As for the state's vaccination effort, MDH says more than 2.9 million people in the state have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Of that group, more than 2.5 million are fully vaccinated.
Of those who have tested positive for COVID-19, people between the ages of 20-24 account for the most cases with 58,102 cases and four deaths, and ages 25-29 follow with 53,229 cases and eight deaths. Those between 85 and 89 years old account for the highest number of fatalities in one age group with 1,339 out of 6,751 diagnosed cases.