ST PAUL, Minn. — Thursday, Aug. 26
- MDH adds two new free testing sites in Bloomington and Saint Paul
- More than 500 people with COVID-19 in MN hospitals for the past six consecutive recorded days
- Health officials announce 1,839 new cases, 11 new deaths
- U of M officially mandates COVID-19 vaccine for students after FDA fully approves Pfizer vaccine
- Anoka-Hennepin School District to require masks for K-6 students
11 a.m.
COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to rise in Minnesota, according to the latest data from The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).
On Thursday MDH reported 1,839 new cases of the virus. Those numbers were based on the results of 30,762 tests (23,375 PCR, 7,387 antigen) processed in private and state labs.
A positive PCR test is considered a confirmed COVID case, while a positive antigen test is considered probable.
MDH reported that as of Wednesday, 584 hospital beds across the state were being used for COVID-19 patients, with 165 of those patients in the ICU. This marks the sixth straight day with statewide COVID hospitalizations above 500.
Eleven additional deaths from the virus were also reported, bringing the total number of fatalities from the virus since the pandemic began to 7,793.
According to the most recent vaccination data from MDH, 3,295,189 people age 16 and older have received at least one shot (71.3%). Of that number 3,086,707 people have completed their COVID series and are considered completely vaccinated (67.2%).
Wednesday, Aug. 25
11 a.m.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) announced Wednesday that the number of COVID-19 cases in the state has increased by 1,404, bringing the cumulative total to 640,459.
Seven more people died, bringing the cumulative death total to 7,782 since the pandemic began.
Of the total number of deaths, health officials say 4,540 have taken place in long-term care or assisted living facilities.
Currently, 576 people are hospitalized and being treated for the virus on an inpatient basis.
Also on Wednesday, health officials reported that 160 people currently require ICU care.
Total hospitalizations since the arrival of COVID have risen to 34,755.
As of Wednesday at 11 a.m., MDH has not updated their vaccination data.
According to the most recent data from MDH, 6,120,500 total doses of vaccine have been administered in the state, with 3,286,870 people age 16 and older having received at least one shot (71.2%). Of that number 3,076,374 people have completed their COVID series and are considered completely vaccinated (67.1%).