ST PAUL, Minn. — Thursday, March 11
- Vaccinations of Minnesotans age 65-plus "officially" reach 70%
- MDH: New COVID cases top 1,000
- Walz expands COVID vaccinations to 1.8 million Minnesotans starting Wednesday
- Pop-up COVID testing site to open in Carver County following outbreak involving sports, young athletes
5 p.m.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) says it has detected the first documented case of a COVID-19 variant in the state known as B.1.351, first discovered in South Africa.
According to MDH, a 40-year-old Twin Cities resident first became ill on Jan. 24.
Although the person did not have any recent travel history at the time, he or she may have been infected by someone who traveled internationally.
The case was first sampled by a commercial lab on Jan. 29 (five days after the individual reportedly became ill), and was not properly identified through genome sequencing techniques until March 10 by the Centers for Disease Control.
This new case comes after the variant was already detected in 21 additional states, including neighboring Wisconsin.
MDH says the variant is thought to be more transmissible, meaning it can spread more easily, though it is unclear if it is more deadly.
2 p.m.
Gov. Tim Walz visited Armstrong High School in Plymouth to speak to the public about his summer learning plan.
According to a news release, Gov. Walz called on the legislature to pass the proposal, which is part of his $150 million COVID-19 Recovery Budget. The plan includes school and community-based learning opportunities, field trips and hands-on learning, mental health support, summer preschool, and college courses for graduating seniors.
“After a year of unprecedented challenges for our students, families, and educators, there is an urgent need for action,” said Gov.Walz in a release. “The learning disruptions caused by COVID-19 have impacted every single student across Minnesota. I call on our Legislature to come together and pass the summer learning plan to help ensure our students aren’t left behind.”
Walz says the proposal will need to be passed by April 15 to allow schools the time to plan for summer learning.
Stephanie Burrage, the interim superintendent of the Robbinsdale Area Schools, said the governor's plan is something that will benefit students and teachers alike.
"It's imperative that we address the mental health needs, the social emotional needs, of our students. This allows us, if we can find out as soon as possible, to start our summer program planning," Burrage told reporters on had in the media center at Amstrong High.
Amstrong's senior class co-president Kaitlyn Doaheuang said many students have told her of the academic and emotional hardships of adjusting to distance learning, so they welcome a chance to get up to speed.
"It is in our best interest to make sure that no student is academically left behind and that preparing each and every student for success in their next chapter is just as important," Kaitlyn remarked.
"It wouldn’t be equitable to assume that every student is academically the same or exposed to the same opportunities."
The Governor's summer school request
Last month, Gov. Walz sent a letter to legislative leaders outlining the plan, which includes:
- Expanding summer 2021 programming by providing students with opportunities to catch up on learning. It will dedicate $57.5 million in federal funds to expand summer programming with small class sizes and transportation for students.
- Expanding summer 2021 preschool for 4- and 5-year-olds by providing $20 million in funding for early learners to attend a star-rated public or private preschool or pre-kindergarten in-person learning program at no cost to them.
- Expanding mental health support in summer 2021 by providing $7 million to expand school-linked mental health services and provide access to well-being support at summer learning programs.
- Providing field trips and hands-on learning in summer 2021 by providing school districts and charter schools with $10 million in supplemental one-time funding for students.
- Accounting for pandemic enrollment loss by maintaining programming that serves all students across the state, including those who are historically underserved. The proposal would provide $25 million in funding to reduce the financial hardship incurred by school districts and charter schools due to a decline in enrollment because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It is imperative that we see fast action on summer programming and declining enrollment aid to address our unfinished learning that happened due to the global pandemic," said interim superintendent for Robbinsdale Area Schools Dr. Stephanie Burrage during a press conference Wednesday afternoon. "Like other districts across the state, we have seen an enrollment decline this past year. We know that our students have struggled academically and socially and emotionally."
"Summer programming gives us an opportunity to begin to address the immediate needs of our students," Dr. Burrage added. "It's imperative that we address the mental health needs, the social emotional needs of our students. This allows us – if we can find out as soon as possible – to start our summer program planning."
11 a.m.
Data released by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Thursday officially pushes vaccinations to the milestone set by Gov. Tim Walz as a trigger for expanding COVID-19 immunizations.
More than 25,000 people received doses of vaccine both Monday and Tuesday, pushing the total of Minnesotans age 65 and older who have received at least one shot to 602,866, or 70% of that age demographic. As of Tuesday 1,129,967 people of all ages have received at least one dose, 20.3% of Minnesota's population of 5.6 million.
Of the people who have received at least one dose, 642,701 have completed the two-shot series.
New COVID daily cases have once again climbed over the 1,000 mark with 1,096 reported in the last day. Those cases are based on 37,631 tests (31,784 PCR, 5,847 antigen) processed in private and state labs. Health officials consider a positive PCR test a confirmed COVID case, while a positive antigen test is considered a probable case.
MDH says 19 more people have perished from the virus, bringing coronavirus deaths in the state to 6,724 since the start of the pandemic.
The number of people currently being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals across the state remains steady at 236, with 63 of those patients requiring treatment in the ICU. Bed availability at hospitals in the Twin Cities has dipped, with just 101 non-ICU beds open (2.7%). Total hospitalizations have risen to 26,177, with 5,410 being treated in the ICU.
Of the Minnesotans who have tested positive for the virus, 479,713 no longer require isolation.
Those between the ages of 85 and 89 have suffered the most fatalities in the state with 1,275 deaths in 6,392 diagnosed cases. Young adults ages 20 to 24 still make up the largest group of cases with 48,923. Three people from that age group have died.
Minnesota's four most populous counties have reported the most COVID activity, with Hennepin County recording 102,498 cases and 1,626 deaths, Ramsey County 43,660 cases and 826 deaths, Dakota County 37,019 cases and 398 deaths, and Anoka County with 33,814 cases and 402 deaths.
Cook County in northeastern Minnesota remains quiet on the COVID front, reporting just 121 cases since the virus arrived in the state.
Wednesday, March 10
2 p.m.
Gov. Tim Walz joined Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm at a COVID-19 vaccination site Wednesday as Malcolm received a dose of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine in an effort to show trust in the vaccine approved late last month.
"I don't know what we would have done in Minnesota, and I certainly don't know what I would have done without Jan Malcolm's steady leadership, her absolute adherence to protecting folks, following the science and creating solutions to management problems that sometimes can be insurmountable," Walz reflected, thanking his commissioner for her steadfastness during a historic year.
"I think things happen for a very particular reason. Having Jan Malcolm and her experience at the helm of the Minnesota Department of Health during the greatest public health threat of the past 100 years has put Minnesota in a better place," he added.
Walz on Wednesday expanded eligibility for the vaccines after the state reached its goal of inoculating 70% of people 65 and older weeks ahead of schedule.
Meanwhile, city leaders in Ramsey have voted to stop enforcing Walz’s mask mandate with proponents arguing it infringes on an individual’s constitutional rights.
11 a.m.
New COVID-19 case numbers and deaths were back to more normal levels Wednesday, one day after an audit of four private labs artificially inflated data from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).
State health officials recorded 922 new coronavirus cases based on results from 20,704 tests (16,799 PCR, 3,905 antigen) processed in private and state labs. The new cases push Minnesota's total to 493,013 since the onset of the pandemic. Of those cases 25,282 were identified by antigen test.
MDH considers a positive PCR test a confirmed COVID case, while a positive antigen test is considered a probable case.
On Tuesday MDH recorded 1,641 new cases along with 140 deaths, well above current averages, but explained that an audit by department epidemiologists of "unverified possible COVID-19 case reports" identified 891 cases and 138 deaths that were previously unreported by private labs in violation of a state rule.
The department is opening an "enforcement action" against the four labs involved in the situation.
Nine more deaths of Minnesotans were reported Wednesday, pushing fatalities to 6,705. Of those deaths 4,224, or 63% of them, are tied to long-term care or assisted living settings.
As of Monday, 1,103,353 people have received at least one dose of COVID vaccine, 19.8% of the state's population. Of those people 615,432 have received two doses and are considered fully immunized.
The state's vaccine dashboard says 68% of residents age 65 and over have received one vaccination or more, but on Tuesday Gov. Walz projected that with numbers still coming in, the state has reached its 70% goal when it comes to seniors.
Meeting that goal allowed the state to expand vaccination efforts to the groups included in the next two phases.
Hospitalizations across the state bumped up slightly with 243 people being treated for COVID on an in-patient basis as of Tuesday, with 64 requiring care in the ICU. Total hospitalizations now sit at 26,1423 since the virus arrived in Minnesota, with 5,394 patients admitted to the ICU.
People between ages 85 and 89 have been hit hardest by COVID, with 1,273 fatalities in just 6,387 diagnosed cases. Young adults 20 to 24 make up the largest grouping of cases in the state with 48,853 and three deaths.
Hennepin County reports the most COVID activity of any county in the state with 102,270 cases and 1,621 deaths, followed by Ramsey County with 43,616 cases and 825 deaths, Dakota County with 36,927 cases and 397 deaths, and Anoka County with 33,703 cases and 400 deaths.
Cook County in northeastern Minnesota has seen the least COVID activity with 121 cases.
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The state of Minnesota has set up a data portal online at mn.gov/covid19.