ST PAUL, Minn. — Monday, Feb. 15
- MDH: More than 238,000 in Minnesota have received both COVID-19 vaccine doses; more than 675,000 have received at least one
- Walz extends COVID-19 peacetime emergency another 30 days
- Walz expands capacity limits in restaurants, entertainment spaces, gyms, pools and private events, and allows restaurants and bars to remain open until 11 p.m.
11 a.m.
The number of Minnesotans at least partially protected against COVID-19 continues to grow, according to the latest numbers released Monday by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).
Data shared on the state vaccine dashboard says as of Saturday, 675,329 Minnesotans have received at least one dose of vaccine, and of that number 238,104 have completed the two-shot sequence. Vaccination numbers are expected to steadily grow, with pharmacies like Walmart and Thrifty White now receiving supplies of the vaccine.
Providers have nearly achieved the goal of administering 90% of the doses they receive within a three day period, a challenge set out in a directive by Gov. Tim Walz. Of those being vaccinated, 300,430 are age 65 and over, and 236,599 are between 18 and 49. People in that group are largely health care providers, front line workers and first responders.
Currently about 12% of Minnesota residents have received at least one dose of vaccine.
MDH reported 611 new cases of the virus in the past day, based on 18,165 tests (17,366 PCR, 799 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.
Minnesota has now recorded 474,169 cases of coronavirus since the pandemic arrived in the state, 21,861 which are linked to antigen tests.
Two additional deaths are linked to COVID-19, bringing the total of state fatalities to 6,378. Of those deaths 4,016, or 63% of them, are associated with long-term care or assisted living facilities.
Total hospitalizations from coronavirus have risen to 25,197, with 5,197 of those patients requiring ICU care.
Young adults ages 20 to 24 represent more COVID cases than any other age group, with 47,414. Only three people from that demographic have lost their lives to the virus. People ages 85 to 89 represent more fatalities than any other group, with 1,208 in 6,174 diagnosed cases.
Hennepin County has experienced more COVID activity than any other county in the state, with 98,398 cases and 1,569 deaths, followed by Ramsey County with 42,221 cases and 787 deaths, Dakota County with 35,179 cases and 378 deaths, and Anoka County with 32,597 cases and 379 fatalities.
Cook County has the least COVID activity, with 118 diagnosed cases and no fatalities since the pandemic's onset.
Sunday, Feb. 14
2 p.m.
Wisconsin's Department of Health Services (WDHS) reported 503 new cases Sunday, bringing the total number of cases since the pandemic began to 555,303.
Health officials reported one new death on Sunday as the total number of fatalities rose to 6,162, approximately 1.1% of those who are infected with the virus.
On Thursday, Feb. 4, Wisconsin's Republican-controlled Legislature repealed Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' statewide mask mandate. Shortly after, Gov. Evers reinstated the mask mandate order.
Wisconsin health officials say a total of 25,302 people have been hospitalized from the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, about 4.6% of the total number of people who have been diagnosed with the virus.
Of the confirmed cases in Wisconsin, 18.8% involve people between the ages of 20 to 29, 15.6% are between 30 and 39, 15.2% are between 50 and 59, and 14.2% are 40 to 49. An estimated 11.5% are between 10 and 19, and 10.9% are between 60 and 69.
As of Saturday, Milwaukee County reported the largest number of confirmed cases with 97,006, along with 1,188 deaths. Waukesha County has reported 39,993 confirmed cases and 466 deaths, Dane County has reported 39,270 confirmed cases and 264 deaths, and Brown County has reported 29,888 cases and 202 deaths.
11 a.m.
New COVID-19 cases dipped Sunday, with new deaths remaining in the single digits for the second day in a row.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported 779 new cases, along with seven new deaths. The new case total includes 642 confirmed cases and 137 probable cases.
As for the state's vaccination effort, MDH reports that 661,187 people in the state have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 227,551 of them have received both doses. As MDH has a several-day delay in releasing vaccination data, those numbers were reported as of Friday.
The total number of Minnesotans who have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began is now 473,567, with 21,806 of those as antigen test results.
MDH says seven new deaths from the virus were reported. That pushes the total number of fatalities in Minnesota to 6,376.
To date, 25,156 Minnesotans have been hospitalized with the coronavirus since the pandemic started, with 5,190 of them needing care in the ICU.
MDH reports that 459,525 people once diagnosed with the virus have passed the point where they are required to isolate.
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The state of Minnesota has set up a data portal online at mn.gov/covid19.