Monday, Dec. 28
- Face coverings to be required when youth sports resume in January
- Long-term care residents begin receiving vaccine Monday
- Low number of cases, deaths reported Monday on much lower testing volume
3:30 p.m.
Face coverings will be required for most youth sports when winter activities are allowed to resume in the state of Minnesota in January.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) released updated guidance on its website on Monday with its recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
2:45 p.m.
Pharmacy chains CVS Health and Walgreens launched a large-scale effort on Monday to help vaccinate residents and staff of Minnesota long-term care facilities for coronavirus.
CVS Health plans to vaccinate more than 63,000 residents and staff of nearly 600 skilled nursing and assisted living facilities across Minnesota during a 12-week effort that began in several states last week. Walgreens aims to vaccinate nearly 3 million residents and staff in a nationwide effort that includes Minnesota.
11 a.m.
The Minnesota Department of Health's (MDH) daily COVID-19 situation update for Monday shows the lowest single-day report of new cases since late October. However, the low case count also comes on a much lower testing volume than usual, due in part to the holiday weekend.
Overall, COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations in Minnesota continue to trend downward following peaks in all categories in late November.
MDH reported 1,087 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, including 961 confirmed cases based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, and 126 probable cases based on antigen testing.
The positive cases were reported on a testing volume of 13,370 (12,138 PCR tests and 1,232 antigen tests), far lower than the recent testing average of 30,000-50,000 tests daily.
A total of 410,138 people have now tested positive for COVID-19 in Minnesota since the onset of the pandemic.
In addition, MDH now reports 391,248 people who once tested positive for the coronavirus have now recovered to the point that they no longer need isolation.
MDH also reported 13 additional deaths in the state on Monday due to COVID-19, bringing the statewide death toll to 5,160 since the pandemic began.
Also Monday, long-term care residents will begin receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in Minnesota. CVS Health announced last week that it will work to vaccinate 4 million residents and staff at 40,000 facilities across the country in 12 weeks, with vaccinations in Minnesota starting on Dec. 28.
Sunday, Dec. 27
2 p.m.
The Wisconsin's Department of Health Services (WDHS) reported 2,287 new cases Sunday, bringing the total number of cases statewide to 470,818.
Health officials reported nine new deaths on Sunday as the total number of fatalities in Wisconsin rose to 4,692, which is approximately 1% of those testing positive for the virus.
A more detailed breakdown of cases by county can be found on the DHS website.
11 a.m.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported 2,534 new COVID-19 cases Sunday, along with 40 new deaths.
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 2,335 confirmed cases and 199 probable cases.
The total number of Minnesotans who have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began is now 409,061, with 13,348 of those as antigen test results.
MDH says 40 new deaths from the virus were reported. That pushes the total number of fatalities in Minnesota to 5,147.
To date, 21,315 Minnesotans have been hospitalized with the coronavirus since the pandemic started, with 4,527 of them needing care in the ICU.
MDH reports that 388,919 people once diagnosed with the virus have recovered enough that they no longer need isolation.
KARE 11’s coverage of the coronavirus is rooted in Facts, not Fear. Visit kare11.com/coronavirus for comprehensive coverage. Have a question? Text it to us at 763-797-7215. And get the latest coronavirus updates sent right to your inbox every morning. Subscribe to the KARE 11 Sunrise newsletter here. Help local families in need: www.kare11.com/give11.
The state of Minnesota has set up a data portal online at mn.gov/covid19.
